Healing Broken Souls
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: After Chara and Asriel die, the monsters lose hope for the surface world, vowing to avoid humans and stay in the Underground. But what happens when seven children fall at different times? Done as a request for dream1990. :)
1. Hardest Decision Of All

**dream1990 asked for this one. Here you go, Amigo! Enjoy! :) **

**Undertale belongs to Toby Fox. I only own Nathan, Julie, Thomas, David, Sarah, and Carmen. **

**A/N: The children in the story are the ones from "Happiness Long Overdue" and "Hope For Past And Present". Frisk is a boy in this story. Also, the story is another take on what happened to the six children that fell into the Underground and the barrier will not be broken in this story. Now for those of you wondering about Chara and Asriel, that will be revealed in time. :) **

**For now, enjoy the story! :)**

* * *

**Healing Broken Souls**

**Chapter 1: Hardest Decision Of All**

Wailing filled the castle halls. "No! My babies!" Queen Toriel cried as she heard the awful news from Gerson, who looked saddened to tell his King and Queen what he had discovered.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesties," he said. "The humans would not listen to Prince Asriel and thought he had killed Chara. He refused to fight them, but...they attacked all the same."

Asgore had tears running down his face, shocked and horrified to learn that even though they had been underground for many years, the humans still were biased against them and had killed a monster who had just been trying to be a good brother to his sister and grant her last wish. It had been difficult to learn that Chara was dying and now to have lost their son was more heartbreaking.

Gaster stood by, his head bowed in sadness before he took his leave quietly, vowing to work on the CORE and free them all. He would do it in Chara and Asriel's memories and one day, their deaths would be avenged. No one saw him leave as they were grieving the deaths of the beloved prince and princess.

Asgore stood up, gently clearing his throat. Everyone looked up respectfully, their eyes filled with tears. "My loyal subjects," he said. "I fear, in light of this awful tragedy, that there will never be a place for us on the surface. The humans have proven this with the death of Asriel and Chara."

Toriel was crying still and Gerson politely helped her to stand as she looked like all her strength was gone. Another monster came forward. "But what do we do?" He asked. "We are to stay here in this prison? Let the humans get away with what they have done?"

The king looked grave. "We will stay here in the Underground where we are safe," he said. "For we will never be safe on the Surface. The humans that have hurt us deeply will no doubt pay for their crimes when it is time, but I refuse to stoop to their level and take their lives as they took my children's lives."

Toriel gave Gerson a grateful look before facing the gathered crowd. "My husband is right," she said. "We have known for a long time that humans would not always understand, but now...they may never understand because of their arrogance. We must not become arrogant ourselves, for to do so would make us no better than them and dishonor Asriel and Chara's memories."

Grillby stepped forward. "I agree with the King and Queen," he said. "If we are to go to the surface, the humans will only wage war against us, as they did years ago and trapped us down here."

They knew Grillby was right, for he had fought in the war with the humans and had seen firsthand that the humans wouldn't choose to allow the monsters to live peacefully on the surface. Another monster stepped forward.

"What if another child falls like Chara did?" She asked softly.

Asgore bowed his head a moment before looking up, his throat tightening as he spoke again. "I'm afraid we must avoid humans at all costs," he said, his voice heavy with sadness. "But Chara will always be remembered as the only human who truly accepted us."

The gathered monsters nodded sadly in agreement. Greater Dog sighed. "To fight a war and lose, and then to lose two someones so precious to all of us, and to never be free. We have truly lost," he said softly.

Dogressa sniffled. "To never see the surface world again," she said before lifting her head. "Perhaps we are indeed safer in this prison. We know that humans won't dare to approach here."

"That is true," Doggo said softly before standing tall. "Even though we are to remain here, we Royal Guard shall continue our duty to protect the King and Queen and all of our kind, as we have always done."

Doggi nodded. "We shall not neglect our duty. Asriel and Chara would not want that," he said softly.

Lesser Dog nodded in agreement while Gerson also nodded, turning back to the King and Queen. "We shall erect a memorial for the prince and princess," he said. "We could put it outside the castle right at the door."

Toriel appreciated the thought. "That is a good idea, but I think in the front gardens would be best," she said, her voice sounding small. "That was Chara and Asriel's favorite place to play."

"We shall get right on creating that memorial," Greater Dog promised.

"And we'll all bring flowers to plant around it," said another monster.

"We will pass on Chara's story to our children, so that the next generations will never forget her and remember her as a good human," said another. "And Asriel's story will be told alongside his sister's. Two souls torn away from us too soon, but they will remain alive in our hearts and memories."

Asgore nodded in gratitude. "We shall mourn for a month," he said. "I am truly sorry, everyone."

"We understand, Your Majesty," Grillby said, his voice sounding sad. "It is for our safety. This prison will become our home. Our safe haven from the cruel overhead world."

The gathering bowed in respect to the King and Queen before leaving to get flowers for the memorial while the Royal Guard Dogs got to work on carving the memorial.

* * *

_Two days later..._

The memorial was erected and the monsters all gathered in a line, placing the flowers they had gathered in the ground, planting them with care before standing to the side, quietly paying their respects.

The memorial itself was carved in marble, something the Royal Guard had worked steadily on for two days. The names of the prince and princess were carved in caligraphy and beneath their names were words that described them perfectly.

_Asriel:_

_Our young prince who was following his parents' footsteps_

_To be a wise ruler of his people and of the Monster Kingdom. _

_His kindness and gentleness shone through all the time_

_Willing to do anything for his family and friends._

_May he rest in peace now, though we will never forget_

_He will be in our minds and hearts forever._

_Chara: _

_A young girl who fell to escape a cruel world_

_She touched our lives in so many ways._

_Truly a one of a kind human who did not judge_

_But accepted us gladly with open arms. _

_Resting in peace now with her brother_

_She will always be remembered and never forgotten._

Toriel cried as she read those words, her heart breaking all over again. Asgore held her as he looked at the monsters. "Thank you for helping us to erect this memorial in honor of Prince Asriel and Princess Chara," he said. "May they never be forgotten."

"Long live their memory," Dogressa said with a salute and the other monsters echoed her words, either saluting or bowing their heads in respect.

Later that afternoon, Toriel and Asgore were walking the halls of the palace before the lady goat turned to her husband. "Asgore," she said, her tearful voice reaching him. "I...I'm sorry, but I need time."

"I understand, my love," he said. "If you wish to leave, I understand. I will always be here for you though. And you are welcome anytime you wish to return."

She sniffled. "I'm...I'm not sure when I'll return," she admitted.

"Then I will wait patiently," he promised, hugging her and kissing her. "I love you, my Queen. And I'm sorry I couldn't prevent this."

She looked at him. "You did everything you could," she said, kissing him one more time before she took a trunk and filled it with her clothes and left the castle, tears flowing down her face.

Asgore watched her leave and he felt his heart breaking. He motioned to one of the guards. "Keep an eye on my wife, but don't disturb her," he said.

"As you command, my King," the guard said, going to do his duty.

With a heavy sigh, Asgore removed his crown, holding it in his hands as his tears flowed faster down his face, his heart heavy with grief for not only his children, but for his fellow monsters who would never be truly free, thanks to the humans who hurt them all so deeply.

* * *

**I'm not going to lie. This is one of the saddest chapters I have ever written. But not to worry, the next chapters will be a bit happier. **

**For now, please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	2. The Brave Child

**Chapter 2: The Brave Child **

_150 years later..._

Toriel sighed softly as she exited the ruins, going to her garden that was just outside the door, a watering can and a trowel in her hands. Kneeling down beside the golden flowers, she began pulling out the weeds and watering the flowers.

As she did, she thought back on the years. During the first few years, she had gone back and forth from the Ruins to the Castle, but then finally just stayed in the ruins, planting golden flowers in honor of her children. Asriel had always loved the golden flowers, even if they did make him sneeze occasionally, and Chara had loved them too, often making flower crowns with them.

The goat woman sighed, bowing her head in sadness. Suddenly, something hit the ground beside her and she jumped in alarm, standing up quickly and calling up her fire magic. She saw a bit of color just in front of her and leaned closer to take a look before her eyes widened in horror.

What had dropped beside her was a human, a young boy from the looks of it. He had brown hair and wore an orange flannel shirt, blue jeans, and brown boots. He groaned as he tried to get up, but fell back down and Toriel saw why.

The boy was injured with bruises all over his face and arms. She was surprised he was still alive from the drop, but she moved forward, her motherly instincts taking over as she remembered when Chara first fell, how injured the girl had been, and how afraid she had been too that the monsters would hurt her, but they proved that they meant no harm.

And despite Asgore strongly suggesting that they steer clear of humans, Toriel couldn't ignore someone in pain or injured, be it monster or human. Moving closer, she kneeled down and very gently lifted him up into her arms. The boy whimpered in pain, his eyelids parting to reveal hazel eyes, eyes that were filled with fear and pain as he tried to struggle, but whimpered as everything hurt.

"Shh," Toriel soothed him. "Calm down, my child. I won't hurt you."

She felt him shaking as he looked up at her, eyes filling up with tears. "Shh, shh," the goat woman soothed. "Be still, young one. I'll heal your injuries."

He winced in pain and shivered in fear. Curious as to why her words weren't at least putting him somewhat at ease, she reached a hand forward. It glowed green as she gently checked the boy's stats and his main trait. Her eyes scanned what she found.

_David_

_Age 10_

_Strongest trait: Bravery_

_Attack: 1 _

_Defense: 10_

_LV: 1_

_Does not wish to fight. Would rather run than fight._

She was a bit worried about his defense being so high, yet his attack being so low. She wondered why as she heard him whimper again in pain and came closer, both her hands glowing green as she placed them on his shoulders. "Shh, calm down, little one," she said soothingly. "You'll feel better soon."

She watched as his hazel eyes closed and he seemed to pass out. Deducing that the pain made him tired, Toriel sat beside him to watch over him, wondering what happened that the boy had fallen in the Underground. He seemed to be a pacifist, if what she read on him was right.

"Well, I won't know until he wakes up," she said to herself as she settled with a book to read.

* * *

_A few hours later..._

The boy groaned and woke up, still in some pain. He heard movement and turned to find a large goat monster beside him. Letting out a scream of terror, the boy shot up from the bed and ran as fast as he could go. "Wait, my child!" He heard a voice say, but he didn't look back as he kept running, looking for a way out.

But the Ruins were a rather large place and the boy got lost, coming to a dead end and trying to find a way out, but couldn't. He fell to his knees as tears fell from his eyes. Hearing footsteps, he huddled into a corner, trying to appear small and hope that he wouldn't be found.

Toriel was worried as she searched for the boy and finally found him at the end of one of the hallways. "Oh, there you are, my child," she said in relief.

The boy whimpered fearfully as he tried to move back, but the wall he was pressed against didn't give. Toriel moved closer, but stopped a few feet from him, kneeling down on the floor, hoping she looked less frightening to the child. "Do not fear, my child. I won't hurt you," she said soothingly, her calm voice reaching the boy.

He looked at her, fear in his eyes. She smiled gently. "Are you feeling better?" She asked, deciding to carry on a conversation with him. "Those bruises look like they're healing well."

The boy looked at his arms and noticed the bruises were less visible now and his face didn't hurt so much. He looked confused and looked at her, seeing her smile. "I healed you a bit last night before you fell asleep," she said. "I can heal the rest of your injuries, if you let me."

He looked unsure, but seemed to be relaxing a little. "Why did you help me?" He asked. "And...I've never met a goat that can talk, let alone wear clothes."

He then gasped as it hit him. "You're a monster!" He exclaimed in horror, again trying to merge with the wall.

Toriel sighed, seeing the boy was more terrified now. "Yes, I am," she said, deciding to be truthful. "But I will not hurt you. I'm a peaceful monster. If I wasn't, then surely I wouldn't have helped you, would I have?"

The gentle question made the boy think. She had healed him, or so she claimed, but he remembered how she had picked him up and taken him in here, laying him on a bed to rest and he had woken up. "Why haven't you hurt me?" He asked. "You're a monster. Monsters hurt people."

Toriel's heart broke at hearing that, making her realize the surface world really was paranoid and told false stories. Though she imagined there were some bad monsters in the world, the monsters of the Underground were peaceful. "I don't like hurting others," she said truthfully. "I'm a healer."

This was true as she had used her powers to heal some of the monsters who had been sick or hurt. The boy looked at her curiously and after a moment, he moved a little bit from the corner. "You...You don't look mean," he said hesitantly. "And...you're not wearing dirty clothes."

The goat woman chuckled at that. "You were told monsters wear dirty clothes?" She asked.

Noting she sounded amused, he looked a little sheepish. "Well, we were told that monsters are smelly and stink because they don't take baths or wash their clothes," he admitted.

Toriel laughed outright at the silliness of that description. "That has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," she admitted, a few more giggles escaping her before she looked at the boy with a smile. "I can assure you, we monsters wear clean clothes and take baths and wash our clothes." She paused. "Though do I smell bad?"

He shook his head. "No, you smell like flowers," he admitted.

She smiled. "No doubt from working in my garden," she said. "Now then, what is your name, my child?"

Though she knew his name, she was hoping he trusted her enough to tell her.

He looked a bit more relaxed. "David," he said before wincing as some of his bruises were beginning to hurt a bit now. "Can you...really heal me?"

"I can," she said with a nod. "Do you trust me?"

He nodded and she approached, her hands glowing green as she placed them on his shoulders and the boy felt instant relief as the pain began to fade away. "What happened that you got these bruises, David?" She asked gently.

He looked away. "My parents abused me," he said softly. He then looked scared. "Please don't send me back to them," he pleaded.

"Shh, I won't, little one," she soothed.

He calmed down a little. "Why are you being so nice to me?" He asked.

Toriel smiled. "Because as a mother, I can't stand to see a child hurt," she said. "You're safe here with me."

David looked curious. "You're a mom?" He asked.

She paused in healing him before looking sad. "I was," she said softly. "My children died a long time ago."

He looked sad. "I'm sorry," he said before moving closer and hugging her. She returned the hug, tears in her eyes as she felt some of the pain from Chara and Asriel's deaths leave her. She then stood up, lifting the boy into her arms.

"David, if you wish, you may stay here with me," she said. "I'll take you in as my son."

He looked at her in surprise as he had been about to say that he'd gladly be her son. "You mean it?" He asked hopefully.

"Yes, my little one," she said.

David hugged Toriel, feeling safe in her arms as a few tears escaped him. The goat woman gently wiped away his tears, which sealed it for the boy. He would stay.

* * *

**Well, looks like the first child has fallen and been taken in, but will he be the only one? Stay tuned to find out! :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418**


	3. The Fair Child

**Chapter 3: The Fair Child **

David moved around the kitchen before holding spying the flour nearby. "Found the flour," he said. "How many cups, Mom?"

"One and a half," Toriel answered with a smile.

It had been a few months since David had fallen and the boy had surprisingly adapted to living in the Ruins as Toriel had. He had at first been unsure about staying in the Ruins, especially the first night in a new room, but the goat woman had been patient and stayed beside the bed until the boy had fallen asleep.

Now, you couldn't tell that the boy helping her in the kitchen was the same one she had found a few months ago. She had been concerned when they had eaten that first night and he seemed unsure about eating so much, but she assured him he wouldn't go hungry under her roof. That had helped him and she was pleased to see that he had gained a healthy weight and was a bit livelier. He reminded her of Asriel in so many ways and she felt that if the goat boy and Chara had been alive today, they would have loved David as a sibling.

David brought the flour over to his mother and smiled at her. "Can I mix the pie filling, Mom?" He asked, seeing most of the dry ingredients for the pie filling were already in a bowl to be mixed.

She nodded. "Do you remember how much of the rest of the ingredients go in?" She asked.

"Two teaspoons of cinnamon, a tablespoon of vanilla, a cup of milk, on egg, and a whole package of melted butterscotch chips," the boy said with a smile.

"That's right," the goat woman said proudly. "Alright, you get on that while I get the the pie crust ready," she said.

David carefully measured and stirred, being careful none of the mixture got out of the bowl. He remembered when he first tried the butterscotch cinnamon pie and had instantly fallen in love with it and asked Toriel to teach him how to make it. She had agreed and to the boy's surprise, he found he loved baking too and so whenever his mother was baking, he joined her in the kitchen.

That was another thing, calling Toriel 'Mom'. He had been hurt by his parents and his birth mother had refused to let him call her 'Mom', saying it was disrespectful. Toriel had asked him one day about his folks when the boy had been living with her for a few weeks and David had told her the truth about the abuse and how he couldn't call his birth mother 'Mom' or she'd punish him.

"You wouldn't punish me if I called you 'Mom', would you?" He had asked her.

"No," she had replied. "I'd be delighted if you called me 'Mom', but if you're not comfortable calling me that yet, you can still call me Toriel."

The boy had been thoughtful before looking at her again. "But...you'd really be okay with me calling you 'Mom'?"

"I would, yes."

She had been unprepared for the sudden hug and had felt the boy's shoulders heave as he had tried to hold back his tears but couldn't. She had instantly begun rocking him and soothing him and that had sealed the deal. David called her 'Mom' and it stuck.

As he was almost done mixing the pie filling, he thought about Toriel's other children, since she had mentioned she had once been a mother before he fell. He wanted to ask about them, but remembered how sad she had been when mentioning that she had once been a mother. He held in the question for now, not wanting to cause his mother grief. She looked so happy now that she had adopted him and he had to admit that he was happy too. It felt great to have a Mom who really cared, who made sure you had enough to eat, didn't make you sleep on the floor, and didn't hit you. Toriel had sworn to him that she'd never raise her hand to strike him and she had given him one of the best rooms in the Ruins, along with getting him good clothes.

"David? David," a voice called to him.

The boy blinked and shook his head, seeing his mother smiling at him. "Are you alright?" She asked gently. "You looked lost in thought and didn't hear me ask if the mixture was ready."

David looked a bit sheepish, looking at the mixture and seeing it was ready. "Yeah, it is," he said, handing it to her. "Sorry, Mom. I was just deep in thought."

"Oh? About what?" She asked curiously.

"About the past few months," he admitted. "You taking me in, treating me like a son and being there for me. It just feels great to finally have a real Mom."

She smiled and hugged him. "And it feels wonderful to have a son like you," she said honestly before putting the pie mixture into two pie crusts and putting them in the oven to bake. "Alright, why don't you go play outside while those bake?"

That was another thing he loved about his mother. She let him play outside a lot and didn't make him stay inside. Running outside, he stopped and checked on the garden, smiling as he saw some new blooms coming up. "I'll have to tell Mom," he said.

A sound reached him then and he looked around, hearing the sound grow louder as he realized it was someone crying. Moving a bit down the path, he then heard a scream and saw someone start falling from a hole high above, the same hole he had fallen into a few months ago.

Remembering how the fall had hurt a bit outside of the abuse he had endured before running away from his birth parents, David ran as fast as he could, holding out his arms and he just managed to catch the person in his arms before they both tumbled to the ground with him turning so that he hit the ground first. Taking a moment to recover, he looked to see a young girl was looking at him. She couldn't have been more than seven years old and she looked astounded that he was there. "Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm David," he said. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and they turned at hearing a door open and Toriel came out. "David, what happened? I heard a scream," the goat woman said before stopping in shock at seeing the young girl that her son had rescued.

The little girl looked surprised and unsure, standing up and looking at the ground. The boy stood up. "She fell down, Mom," he said. "I saw her falling and I caught her, but we both fell down again."

Toriel managed to recover from her shock and smiled at her son. "I'm proud of you, sweetie," she said before looking at the little girl. "Are you lost, little one?" She asked gently.

The little girl shook her head. "They pushed me down here," she said, her voice small. "They didn't want me."

The goat woman picked her up, holding her comfortingly. "Shh, shh," she soothed, seeing some bruises on the girl's arms, leading her to believe, along with what the child said, that the little one was another victim of abuse.

David came closer. "Are you okay?" He asked again.

She nodded. "Yeah," she said before looking at Toriel. "Are you...a monster?"

The hesitant question made the goat woman smile. "I am, yes," she said. "But I won't hurt you."

"Mom's a nice monster and the best mom ever," David said before remembering something. "I'm David and Mom's name is Toriel. What's your name?"

The little blonde-haired girl didn't look too certain, her brown eyes cast downward. "Julie," she said after a moment.

Toriel noted that the yellow dress the child had on was dirty and the black shoes looked very scuffed up. "Well, let's get you inside, my dear. Are you hungry?" The goat woman asked.

Julie nodded and Toriel headed inside with her and David followed them. "Mom, is Julie going to be my new sister?" He asked hopefully.

She was pleased her son had asked that. "Yes," she said. "Julie is your new sister."

The little girl looked up at her. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, you're going to live here with me and David," Toriel said gently.

Julie looked uncertain. "But...I'm unwanted," she said softly.

The goat woman shook her head. "That's not true, sweetie," she said. "David wants you as his little sister and I would love to have you as my daughter."

"Really?" The little girl asked.

"Yes," Toriel said as they reached the kitchen and the goat woman cut the butterscotch cinnamon pies, putting two pieces on some plates and giving them to the two children. David eagerly began eating while Julie seemed unsure, which the boy noticed.

"It's okay," he said. "Mom's pies are the best and she won't let you go hungry."

That seemed to help and Julie began eating slowly at first, but then eagerly when she found the pie was delicious. After eating, she hugged David and he hugged her, understanding what she was saying without words.

Toriel held out a hand to secretly check Julie's stats and main trait.

_Julie_

_Age 7_

_Strongest trait: Justice_

_Attack: 1_

_Defense: 2_

_LV: 1_

_Doesn't feel so alone now and is happy to have a new brother and mother. _

She nodded, vowing that her newest daughter would never feel alone again while her heart filled with joy at having two children to care for. She made up her mind that if any other children fell, she'd take them in at once. The world above might still be cruel, but she would not be.

* * *

**So a second child has fallen. :) Now, for those of you wondering, each child will have a chapter before they meet the rest of the Underground. So stay tuned! :) Also, I don't know Toriel's exact recipe for her butterscotch cinnamon pie, so I just made it up for the story. :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	4. The Pure Child

**Chapter 4: The Pure Child **

David was slowly counting as Julie giggled and looked for a place to hide. Toriel, who was in the living room reading a book, smiled as she heard her children playing. It had only taken a couple days for Julie to settle in and the little girl had first been unsure about playing. Her first day, she had sat quietly on a stool in the living room and when David invited her to play a game, she admitted she didn't know how to play or even what a game was.

"What did you do with your days then, my child?" Toriel had asked, having a bad feeling about this.

"I just sat in a chair or on a stool," Julie had said. "And I couldn't leave that spot except for when it was time to eat. I wasn't allowed to really make a sound either. I was to be quiet and if I did speak...I got spanked."

Toriel had almost cried at hearing that and had hugged Julie, reassuring her that she didn't have to sit around all day. She was allowed to play. David took it upon himself as a big brother to teach his little sister some awesome games. As she had learned it was okay to play, she came more out of her shell over the past month.

Now, she was looking for a good spot to hide before she heard a loud thump outside and grew curious, opening the door of the Ruins and looking around. She had once been afraid that the mountain would collapse since it was hollowed out outside the ruins, but Toriel had told her that the Underground was full of magic and the inside of the mountain was reinforced by the strongest magic known to keep it from collapsing on anyone.

Glancing around, she heard a whimper and looked to see a boy that looked to be her brother's age and had black hair and wore a red shirt, black jeans, and black sneakers. She noticed his arms looked scratched up and one of his eyes was bruised. Worried, she ran back into the Ruins, forgetting about the hide-and-seek game with her brother for the moment.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Hearing Julie called out in a fearful voice, Toriel stood up, putting her book aside as David, who had been searching for Julie, came into the living room just in time to see the little girl run up to their mother. "Mommy! Come quick! There's a boy who's hurt!" The seven-year-old girl said urgently.

Toriel's motherly instincts kicked in. "Where is he, little one?" She asked.

"Outside," Julie said, taking her mother's hand and guiding her to outside. "I heard a thump when I was looking for a place to hide and I went to see what had fallen."

Normally, Toriel would have cautioned her children about going outside the Ruins without her knowledge, but decided this time it was alright because she could now see the child that her daughter had seen and from a first glance, she could see the boy was hurt with what looked like a black eye, multiple scratches, and she could see a bruise peeking out from the boy's upper arm just under the shirt sleeve. "Another abused child," she said as she placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

He jolted awake and looked at her with brown eyes filled with fear and he tried to scoot backwards, but groaned, giving the goat woman an idea of his injuries. "Shh, shh, calm down," she soothed.

Julie and David stood by, looking worried. "Will he be okay, David?" The little girl asked.

The boy nodded. "He'll be okay. Mom can heal him just like how she healed us," he said confidently.

The new boy noticed them and grew worried, but before he could open his mouth, the little girl spoke. "Mommy, what's wrong with his leg?" She asked, pointing to the boy's left leg.

Toriel gently placed a hand on the boy's leg and her eyes widened in shock at seeing what the problem was. "It looks like his knee is dislocated," she said.

"What's dislocated mean, Mom?" David asked.

"It means out of place," the goat lady said patiently. "David, I'm going to need my medical supply kit for this one and some towels. Can you go get them for me?"

"Yes, Mom," the boy said.

"I'll help too," Julie said, following her brother inside.

Toriel looked at the boy, holding out a hand to check his stats and main trait.

_Thomas_

_Age 10_

_Strongest trait: Integrity_

_Attack: 1 _

_Defense: 5 _

_LV: 1 _

_Refuses to do anything wrong, even if figures of authority order him to. _

She nodded and gently stroked the boy's head. "Don't be afraid, little one," she said. "I'm here to help you."

He looked at her uncertainly, but felt some of the pain from his arms leave as the goat woman's hands glowed green, making him curious. "Are you...healing me?" He asked.

"Yes," she said. "And when my children return, I'll fix your knee."

He looked surprised. "You will?" He asked before looking away. "No one else would fix it."

Toriel had a bad feeling about this. "What happened that your knee got like this?" She asked gently.

"My foster parents were mad at me for not stealing some money like they told me to," he said. "The man tied me up in a chair and grabbed my leg and twisted it until my knee popped. I screamed and begged him to stop, but the lady slapped me and told me to accept my punishment for not doing as I was told."

The goat woman bowed her head. "How can someone be so cruel to a child?" She asked aloud. She then looked at the boy. "What is your name, little one?"

"Thomas," he said. "Though my foster parents never used my name."

"Well, I will," she said to him. "By the way, how did you get to the mountain?"

Thomas took a deep breath, feeling more of the pain leaving him, though his knee was still really sore. "I ran away and hitched a ride with a farmer who was passing by. He said he was on his way to another town but was passing by Mt. Ebbot, so I asked if he could bring me here. He did and I climbed up, though it was hard with my knee. I had a walking stick, but I guess I dropped it when I fell down."

David and Julie had returned with the items their mother had asked for and Toriel, thanking them, got to work on healing the rest of the scratches and bruises on the boy before turning her attention to his knee. "This is going to hurt a bit, but I'll try to be as gentle as possible," she said to him, resting her hand on his knee.

Thomas looked afraid, but nodded. Julie, getting an idea, moved closer to him. "Do you have any siblings?" She asked curiously.

He shook his head. "No," he said.

David, seeing what his sister was doing, smiled and sat on Thomas' other side. "Well, maybe Mom will let you be our brother," he said.

"Really?" The boy asked.

"Yeah!" Julie said excitedly. "You could join our family and I'd get another brother!"

David smiled. "We were loners too before Mom took us in and Julie and I have grown close. She's like the little sister I always wanted."

While they were talking, Toriel got ready to push Thomas' knee back into place and seeing as he was relaxed right now thanks to her children, she took a firm hold of the knee and pushed. A resounding crack seemed to echo and the black-haired boy screamed in both surprise and some pain before the pain went away and he sat up, looking at Toriel, who looked contrite. "I'm sorry, Thomas," she said gently. "I was trying to be gentle."

"It's okay," he said, bending his knee a little. "It doesn't hurt anymore and I can move it."

"Still, you should let your knee rest," she said, grabbing two pieces of wood and gently making the boy put his leg flat as she secured the wood with some strong string before her hand glowed green to help out a bit. "Alright, you should stay off that leg for today and we can check it tomorrow to see if it's healed."

Thomas looked surprised. "It'll heal that fast?" He asked.

Toriel smiled. "Yes," she said. "Between you resting it, my healing powers, and some monster food, your knee should be better by tomorrow."

The boy suddenly looked pensive. "What do you want me to do in return for you healing me?" He asked.

She smiled again gently. "Nothing, little one. Except, would you like to stay? It seems my children have accepted you as their new brother."

That was true and Julie and David looked at Thomas hopefully. He was surprised, but then looked at Toriel. "You won't make me steal or anything like that?" He asked.

"No," Toriel said. "You will not be forced to steal or do anything wrong. And if you do stay, I promise I'll keep you safe and you'll never see those awful people again."

"And Mommy keeps her promises," Julie said.

"And she loves us," David said.

That and Toriel's actions proved that they all spoke the truth and he looked at Toriel and nodded before tears brimmed his eyes. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome, my little one," she said, picking him up and carrying him inside with Julie and David following behind her.

"Mommy, I'm sorry I went outside without telling you," Julie said suddenly.

"I forgive you, Julie, because if you hadn't, we wouldn't have found Thomas," Toriel said gently.

David smiled. "Do you think our family will get bigger, Mom?" He asked. "I've always wanted a lot of siblings."

"Me too," Julie said.

The goat woman chuckled in amusement. "I believe it might," she said as she saw Thomas had fallen asleep in her arms.

But while she was happy to be a mother again and willing to take in these little ones who had only known a cruel world, she was also worried about what would happen if the other monsters knew about the children. After Asgore's decree about staying away from humans, the other monsters had vowed to be on the watch for any humans who fell.

Now she was certain none of them would raise their hands to strike a child, but she didn't know if they'd be so understanding about these children, though they were understanding of Chara's situation when she first fell.

She finally decided that for now, the children she was taking care of had to remain a secret for their safety. But perhaps one day, they would be accepted by the others too.

* * *

**So now a third child had fallen, but are Toriel's fears unfounded? Will the children be accepted by the rest of the Underground? We shall see. :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	5. The Careful Child

**Chapter 5: The Careful Child **

Toriel smiled as she made another butterscotch cinnamon pie for breakfast for her three children. "I can't believe it's been three years already," she said to herself.

It was true. Three years had passed since Thomas had fallen and surprisingly, he and his siblings hadn't aged at all. Toriel had wondered but then remembered telling Julie that there was strong magic in the Underground. It was possible that strong magic prevented the children from aging as fast as humans did on the surface.

And three years had done wonders for the three children. David was more adventurous and Julie loved to play all the time. Thomas had fully recovered from his injuries and was the quiet one to sit and read with Toriel, but his siblings would often drag him into a game. Toriel had actually caught Julie giving her brothers 'puppy eyes' to get them to play dress up, house, or castle with her. The two sometimes tried to get out of it, but most of the time gave in so that their sister would be happy. In return though, they'd let her join them in some games they would play. No one would be left out.

The joy of motherhood these three brought her was slowly filling the hole that had appeared in her heart when Chara and Asriel had died. Granted, her first two children would always have a spot in her heart, but she had room for the other children too.

At the moment, her three children were watching a movie while she was outside tending to her garden. She had just weeded out one part of the flower bed when she looked up to see something up ahead. As she continued looking at it, she saw it was a young boy and he was hiding while watching her. From what she could see when he peeked out, he looked to be a little older than Julie, but younger than David and Thomas. She also noted he had black hair and blue eyes and wore a purple shirt, blue jeans, and blue sneakers. She contemplated whether to stand up and go over to him or see if he would come to her and settled on the second option, standing up slowly before looking over at the boy. "You can come out," she called to him, keeping her voice at a gentle, encouraging tone. "It's alright."

She saw the boy looked ready to run, his face filled with fear, which made her wonder if he had suffered abuse. "Don't be afraid," she said gently, making her voice sound more soothing. "I won't hurt you."

He was watching her more closely now, but staying rooted to his spot behind a tree. Toriel decided not to make any sudden moves as she didn't want the skittish child to flee and possibly get hurt. She smiled gently at him. "Come out, little one," she cooed to him. "Are you hungry? I have some pie that you can eat."

She noticed how he seemed to perk up at the mention of food before his guarded look returned. "You can have some pie if you come out," the goat woman said coaxingly.

The boy looked at her and his eyes narrowed. "How do I know you're not trying to trick me?" He asked, his voice guarded, but a small amount of fear in it too. She could tell he was scared and trying not to show it and his question made her heart ache.

"I'm not cruel like that," she said to him. "I don't go back on my promises either. If you come with me, I promise you that you won't be harmed."

He looked unsure, but noted how she was looking right at him and didn't seem deceitful. She seemed genuinely concerned. He slowly came out, moving towards her and noting how she stayed put, not moving. As he stopped again, she slowly kneeled down to make herself appear less scary. It helped and he moved closer before looking at her. "Um, what exactly are you?" He asked.

Toriel smiled. "Well, I'm a goat monster," she said truthfully.

He looked curious. "You don't look like a monster," he said. "Monsters have sharp claws and big teeth and are ugly."

She had to hold back a giggle at hearing that, the young one reminding her of when David had first fallen. He had said something similar and she had found it amusing. "Well, I do have claws, but they're not sharp and I certainly don't have big teeth, and I hope I'm not ugly," she said.

The boy actually smiled at that. "No, you don't," he said. "And no, you're not ugly."

"Oh, that's a relief," she said with a giggle. "I thought my makeup might be out of place."

The boy actually laughed at that one and Toriel laughed too. She truly didn't wear make-up, but had said that to make the boy laugh. She smiled as he laughed before she stood up and held out a hand. "Well, the pie's inside," she said. "Come along."

Feeling less wary now, he took her hand and she guided him inside and as promised, put some pie on a plate for him. He tentatively tasted it at first, but then dove into it eagerly. "Wow! This is great!" He said. "Um, what kind of pie is it?"

"Butterscotch cinnamon," Toriel said with a smile.

He grinned. "This is the best pie ever," he said, polishing off the pie in a few seconds.

Julie, David, and Thomas came in right then, pausing when they saw the newcomer. Toriel smiled at them. "We have a guest, children," she said.

The boy looked at them, seeming surprised that they were there. "Do you guys live here?" He asked.

"Yeah," David said.

"We've been down here a few years," Thomas said.

"With our mom," Julie said, pointing to Toriel.

The boy looked surprised at that and looked at the goat woman, who smiled. "David, Thomas, and Julie came from the surface and I adopted them," she said.

"Are you going to adopt him too, Mom?" David asked in a hopeful voice. "Is he going to be our new brother?"

Toriel smiled at her son. "If he wants to be," she said.

"What's your name?" Thomas asked the new boy.

"Nathan," he said.

Julie seemed to light up at that and grabbed his hand. "Come on! We were about to play Knights and Princesses and you can be one of the knights!" She said happily.

"Whoa, hold on!" He said in surprise, trying to pull away, but Julie had a strong grip. David and Thomas laughed in amusement.

"Wait up, guys!" Thomas said, running after them.

"I'll get the costumes!" David said, running towards the hall where their rooms were.

Toriel laughed in amusement as she followed them, seeing David coming out of his room with the foam swords and play armor. He even had found a princess dress for Julie and handed it to her while handing the armor to the other two boys. Nathan looked a bit lost as he put the fake armor on and held a sword. "Um, so how does this work?" He asked.

"We pretend we're the knights protecting the princess, which is Julie," Thomas said with a smile.

The eight-year-old still looked lost. "Um, how do knights protect a princess?"

"Just follow our lead," David said kindly as Julie stepped into the play castle.

"Oh, I see the evil king and his fire-breathing dragon coming this way! Who will protect me?" She asked, getting into character.

"We'll protect you, princess!" Thomas said, sounding like a true knight.

"We'll keep that evil king and his dragon away!" David said.

Nathan, catching on, nodded. "They shall not enter this castle!" He said, hoping he said it right.

"My heroes!" Julie said happily before gasping. "Oh, no! Here they come!"

As the boys prepared to 'fend off' the dragon and evil king, Toriel reached a hand out towards Nathan, curious to see what his stats were, along with his main trait.

_Nathan_

_Age 8_

_Strongest trait: Perseverence_

_Attack: 1 _

_Defense: 3 _

_LV: 1_

_Cautious, but unwilling to give up. Willing to give someone a chance if they prove to be trusthworthy. _

The goat woman nodded, seeing that the boy was true to his trait as were her other three children. She then smiled as the boys had been successful in their 'quest' and Julie had glomped them all, making them fall to the floor as they all laughed and the little girl begged for them to play the game again.

Toriel decided to sit and watch them for a bit, smiling fondly as her now four children played in the living room, filling the Ruins with more laughter and joy.

* * *

**I know, I know. I've just had boys falling into the Underground, but never fear, the next one to fall will be a girl. :) Also, if you're all wondering when our favorite skeletons will show up along with the other monsters, they will show up in later chapters after the seventh child has fallen, so no worries. :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	6. The Patient Child

**Chapter 6: The Patient Child **

"Nathan, would you be a dear and go check on the vegetables in the garden?" Toriel asked. "I think I saw some tomatoes and cucumbers that were ready for picking the other day."

"Sure, Mom," the young boy said, grabbing a small basket and going outside. He had been living with Toriel and the other kids for about two weeks now and he had to admit, it felt great to have two older brothers and a little sister. He loved playing with his siblings, but mostly liked to help Toriel. Whatever she was working on, he wanted to help her with.

"Nathan, not that I don't appreciate it, but may I ask why you like to help so much?" She had asked him a few nights after he had arrived.

He looked down. "I just...want to feel useful," he said. "So that...you don't send me back."

Toriel had at once scooped up Nathan into her arms and hugged him. "Nathan, I will never send you back to that awful place," she promised. "While you haven't told me exactly where you came from, I could tell someone had abused you, or at least had neglected you."

"Yeah," he said. "They just didn't want me around. I...I felt useless and...you don't make me feel useless. You make me feel like I'm a good helper."

"And you are, my child," she said with a smile. "But don't feel guilty if I tell you that it's okay to play instead. I don't want to deprive you of being happy and playing."

He looked up at her. "Really?"

She nodded and hugged him again. "I promise, Nathan," she said reassuringly before tickling his sides gently and he giggled, squirming to get away before she went back to spinning some yarn and he took the finished yarn and got to work rolling the twisted skeins into balls of yarn, happy to sit by Toriel while she continued spinning the yarn.

Since that night, Nathan seemed to find a balance in playing with his siblings and helping out Toriel, calling her 'Mom' after that night. She had smiled at him and hugged him.

Now, Nathan went into the vegetable garden and found the tomatoes and cucumbers his mother had been talking about. He suddenly heard rustling and jumped a little, looking up. "Who's there?" He asked, picking up a nearby stick.

Something darted past and fell with a grunt, allowing him to see blue material before it disappeared behind a row of pumpkins. Two blue eyes looked into his eyes and he noticed that they looked afraid. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked, setting down the stick and the basket before going over to the pumpkins, seeing the eyes move back a bit before he came around and stopped short as the person turned to look at him.

It was a girl that couldn't have been much older than him and she had red hair and wore a long-sleeved blue dress and blue slip-on shoes. He looked at her in surprise before seeing some cuts on her right arm and some bruises on her face. "Who hurt you?" He asked her.

The girl didn't respond, but looked hungrily at some green bell peppers that were growing nearby. Nathan knew that look as Julie sometimes had that look when she was hungry. "Hey, I bet I can ask Mom if you can join us for dinner," he said, hoping the offer would help her see that he wasn't going to hurt her. "And Mom can heal you. She's really good with her healing powers."

The girl seemed a bit unsure and Nathan held out his hand, to which the girl hesitantly took, and he guided her out of the garden, picking up his basket again and grabbing some tomatoes and cucumbers along the way. "What's your name?" He asked.

She looked down before looking up at him. "Sarah," she said softly.

He smiled. "I'm Nathan," he said. "You've got to meet my siblings. I've got two older brothers named David and Thomas and a little sister named Julie. They accepted me right after they first met me and Mom adopted me."

Sarah looked a bit surprised at this, but let Nathan guide her inside. She did hold back a little after the door shut, looking a bit scared. "It's okay," he said reassuringly. "Come on. Mom's in the kitchen."

Toriel was wondering where Nathan was and was about to go look for him when she saw him come into the kitchen. "Oh, there you are, Nathan," she said. "I was wondering where...,"

The goat woman trailed off as she saw Nathan standing there with a girl somewhat hiding behind him. The girl was clutching the boy's hand as if it was a lifeline and Nathan turned to her. "Sarah, this is my Mom, Toriel," he said before looking up at the goat woman. "Mom, this is Sarah. I found her hiding in the garden."

Thankfully, Toriel regained her composure after the introduction. "Hello, Sarah," she said pleasantly, smiling as she kneeled down. "Why were you hiding in my garden?"

The girl looked down, clenching her free hand into her blue dress while shuffling her feet. Nathan gently squeezed her hand reassuringly and looked up at his mother. "Mom, I think she's been abused too," he said as he stepped back a little so that the goat woman could see the bruises on Sarah's face and the cuts on her arms.

"Oh, my goodness," she said, going up to them and gently touching Sarah's shoulder. "Why don't you sit down, honey, and I'll see about healing your injuries?"

Though this was spoken kindly, Sarah didn't let go of Nathan's hand and looked at him with some fear. He gave her a reassuring look. "I'll stay with you," he said. "You can squeeze my hand while Mom heals you."

Toriel was proud of her son for being so thoughtful and Sarah gave Nathan a grateful look as he guided her to a chair and she sat down while Toriel got another chair and sat beside her. "Alright," she said, her hands glowing green. "I'll be gentle, but let me know if anything hurts, okay?"

Sarah nodded and Toriel began healing her. As the green magic touched her skin and began healing her injuries, the girl giggled a little. "That kind of tickles," she said.

The goat woman chuckled and as she continued healing her, she also checked on Sarah's trait and stats.

_Sarah_

_Age 9_

_Strongest trait: Patience_

_Attack: 1 _

_Defense: 2 _

_LV: 1_

_Likes to observe and is willing to wait for something, even if it means waiting for a good while. Appreciates that someone is being kind to her. _

Toriel could see that patience definitely suited Sarah, because she was sitting patiently as her wounds were healed. Because some wounds were a little deep, it was taking a bit for them to fully heal, but the goat woman kept at it. Sarah looked up at her. "It doesn't hurt anymore," she said quietly.

Toriel smiled, having heard her. "I'm glad of that, my dear," she said. "Some of these wounds...did someone use a knife on you?"

Sarah nodded. "And razor blades," she said. "One even had a saw blade."

Nathan looked at her in concern. "Your parents?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Foster parents," she said. "And they didn't want me."

Toriel felt her heart go out to Sarah as she finished healing her. "Well, you don't have to worry about that down here, my dear," she said. "Why don't you join us for dinner and spend the night and after you've rested, you'll feel better."

The girl nodded. "Thank you, Miss Toriel," she said softly.

The goat woman smiled. "Just 'Toriel' is fine, dear," she said gently.

Julie, David, and Thomas were thrilled to have Sarah over and Julie at once asked if Sarah would be willing to play dress up with her tomorrow while David and Thomas were going to play outside and said that Sarah could join them if she wanted to. She smiled shyly.

"I'll think about it," she said.

Nathan smiled. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it," he said. "They're just really excited that you might become our newest sister."

She looked surprised. "Really?"

He nodded. "I bet Mom's ready to adopt you," he said, looking at his mother, who chuckled.

"Let's not overwhelm Sarah right now, my children," she said gently. "Right now, it's time for supper."

The children eagerly dug in and Sarah did also, seeming to enjoy the meal greatly, giggling at something David had said.

Watching her children always amused Toriel and made her happy. And Nathan was right, she had already adopted Sarah with her heart, but had decided to wait until the morning to tell the girl.

_Five children, _she thought to herself with a smile. _Oh, Chara and Asriel would have loved them. _

Thinking about that made a few tears come to her eyes, but for once, they were happy tears for the mother goat as she smiled again at her children. She noticed Sarah come up to her and look up at her.

"Toriel, um, can I stay here? Like, to live here?" She asked.

The goat woman nodded. "Yes, you may, little one," she said. "I promise, you'll be safe here. You will never see those abusers again."

She wasn't prepared for Sarah to hug her, but she returned the hug all the same. "Thank you...Mom," the girl said with a smile.

Toriel smiled again. "You're welcome, my daughter."

* * *

**I promised the next one to fall would be a girl, didn't I? :) **

**So child number 5 has fallen, which means it won't be long before the other two fall as well. :) Also, quick note to everyone, I will not be online next week due to some pre-planned stuff, but I will be back online in October, so stay tuned. :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418**


	7. The Kind Child

**Chapter 7: The Kind Child **

Julie giggled as she chased a leaf through the flowerbeds, being careful she didn't step on any of the flowers. Toriel was inside and preparing the Ruins for the cold weather that was seeping in from the surface. "It must be near winter up there," the goat woman had said to her children. "I'm going to look for warmer clothes for you all."

"Does it snow here, Mom?" Thomas had asked.

"Yes, it does," Toriel replied. "Especially in Snowdin, which is just beyond the Ruins."

Sarah looked a bit afraid. "The other monsters won't come after us, will they?" She asked.

"Don't worry, Sarah. Mom will keep us safe," David said.

"And maybe the other monsters will be nice like Mommy," Julie said, willing to give the other monsters that Toriel had told them about a chance.

"But they might not be very nice," Nathan cautioned. "Mom did say that Asgore decreed that the monsters stay away from humans. I don't think they'd readily accept us as Mom has."

"Nathan's right," Thomas said, though he hated to admit it. "So far, the other monsters haven't come here, but that doesn't mean they won't if they learn we're here."

Toriel nodded sadly, though she hoped that wouldn't be the case. Perhaps if she could convince a few monsters to give the children a chance instead of judging them to be bad, then perhaps the others would be swayed. She knew of a Judge, but hoped he'd be willing to hold judgment of the children on her behalf. She'd have to ask him sometime, but would do so at a time she felt was best. She now glanced up to see Julie still chasing some leaves and smiled at her youngest child before going outside to work on the garden, seeing Julie running off after the leaf that the wind had just blown in another direction. "Don't go too far, Julie," she cautioned.

"Yes, Mommy," the little blonde-haired girl said before chasing the leaf again, looking back every so often to see that she wasn't too far from the Ruins. But when she looked back at one point, she stepped and felt her foot go down and she screamed as she fell into a hole, grabbing onto the thick tree roots that jutted out of the wall of dirt as she could now see the hole was very deep. She gripped the roots hard, afraid to call out as she might attract the other monsters there instead of her mother.

"Hey, are you okay?" An unfamiliar voice asked and the seven-year-old looked up to see a tall girl standing at the edge of the hole. She had light brown hair and green eyes and wore a long-sleeved black shirt under a kelly-green shirt, black jeans, and white sneakers. She looked to be a little older than David and Thomas, though not by much.

"Who are you?" Julie asked, gripping the roots harder.

"I'm Carmen," the girl answered. "What's your name?"

The kind note the girl's voice helped the younger girl to see that this girl was a friend. "I'm Julie," she said. "Can you help me?"

Nodding, Carmen lay down on her stomach and crawled closer, using the roots for support, and she reached out. "Grab my hand," she said.

Julie reached forward and caught the older girl's hand. "Okay, try crawling towards me," Carmen said. "I'll scoot back and pull you up."

The little girl did just that and the older girl, true to her word, moved backwards, helping the young one out of the hole and away from danger. Julie stood up and brushed the dirt off her dress while Carmen brushed a bit of dust off her jeans. "Are you okay?" The older girl asked.

The younger girl nodded. "Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," Carmen said. "Where do you live? I can take you home."

Julie pointed to the Ruins behind them. "I live there," she said. "With my mom and my older brothers and sister."

The older girl looked a bit surprised, but nodded and let the little girl hold her hand as they walked back to the Ruins. Toriel had already gone in, but David was outside and he looked relieved to see his little sister was okay and he looked at the newcomer in surprise. "David!" Julie cried out, running up to him. "Carmen saved me! She helped me out of a big hole!"

The boy looked at the older girl and smiled. "Thanks for helping my sister," he said. "Come. Mom will want to meet you."

A bit hesitant at first, Carmen nodded and followed the two inside the Ruins, glancing around nervously as she thought the walls would come crumbling down, but they seemed to be sturdy despite the worn-out look. A moment later, they came into the living room where Toriel had just put away a book she had finished reading and the goat woman turned in time to see the three children in the doorway and noticed Julie's slightly rumpled state. "Goodness. Julie, are you alright, my child?" She asked, going up to them.

Julie nodded. "I'm okay, Mommy. Carmen saved me," she said, pointing to the older girl behind her and David.

"There's a big hole near the trees and Julie must have fallen in," the boy said.

That worried Toriel. "Did it look like a trap?" She asked.

"No," Carmen said, somewhat unsure about the goat woman, but seeing as Julie and David weren't afraid, then she certain she wasn't in immediate danger. "It looks like erosion, like maybe some rains had washed away the earth around the trees."

Toriel nodded, deducing that it could be possible. The Surface did get a lot of rain and that rain did pour in through the opening high in the mountain. She looked at Carmen. "Thank you for helping my daughter," she said before looking curious. "But why are you here, my child? Are you lost?"

The older girl shook her head. "I have heard stories of the Underground and grew curious," she admitted. "Plus...I was trying to get away from my mother. She hurt me a lot."

Carmen looked down at this admission and Toriel knew at once what the child meant. "Well, you are welcome to stay," she said with a smile. "What is your name, my dear?"

"Carmen," the girl replied.

Julie surprised Carmen by hugging her. "You could be our big sister!" She said happily.

"Yeah," David said in agreement. "I think you've earned a place in our family for saving Julie."

The older girl looked surprised and Toriel chuckled as she secretly checked to see what Carmen's stats and main trait were.

_Carmen _

_Age 11_

_Strongest trait: Kindness_

_Attack: 1 _

_Defense: 4 _

_LV: 1 _

_Feels that kindness is the best way to help others and wants to spread as much kindness to everyone or any living creature she meets. Is very fond of nature. _

The goat woman hummed thoughtfully and smiled. While Carmen's defense was strong, Toriel could sense it was more for wanting to prove that kindness was important. "Well, let's call in the other children," she said.

When Thomas, Nathan, and Sarah heard about Carmen saving Julie, they instantly hugged the older girl and begged their mother to make Carmen their older sister. The eleven-year-old was surprised by this and Toriel smiled. "The children have been in similar spots as you, Carmen," she said gently. "Therefore, they see you as not only a kindred spirit, but also as a sister for your good deed in saving Julie."

The girl looked a bit overwhelmed, but upon seeing how the five younger children were not only happy, but looked cared-for too, she took a deep breath. "Well...do you guys want me to stay?" She asked.

"Of course we do," Sarah said. "There's too many boys around here."

"Hey!" Thomas, Nathan, and David protested without heat, making Julie and Carmen giggle while Toriel did her best to smother her laughter into her hand.

Carmen smiled. "Well, then, we can't have that," she said teasingly. "So...I'd like to stay."

Toriel nodded. "You may, my child," she said. "Welcome to your new home."

As the siblings hugged their new sister and Toriel hugged her newest daughter, none of them noticed a figure watching them, smiling as he saw the new girl being accepted into the family. He had seen how she had helped Julie to safety and nodded upon seeing the same stats and traits as Toriel had. He could tell each child was true to their strongest trait, but a small worry filled him too. Six children with six of the traits needed to break the barrier had already fallen and he was worried that a child with the trait of determination would soon fall. While the King had chosen not to have the barrier broken, what if he changed his mind upon seeing the children with the traits needed? Or would get upset at Toriel for harboring the children when he had decreed that monsters should stay away from humans, even children, though he had hesitantly included that.

But as the observant monster watched, the six children were playing while Toriel watched them as she knitted and he had to admit, the sound of the children's laughter was music to him and Toriel seemed to have been healing from the awful tragedy of Chara and Asriel's passing. "Perhaps the King will make an exception for these little ones," he said to himself. "The Queen is healing, which is good."

An idea struck him. "It's just possible the children can heal all of us," he said with a smile before vanishing, leaving no trace of his being there.

* * *

**Well, the sixth child has arrived, which means Frisk will appear in the next chapter, but who is the mystery person watching over the children? That will be revealed in the chapter after the next, so stay tuned! :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames!**

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	8. The Determined Child

**Chapter 8: The Determined Child **

"_They've never returned." _

"_Monsters got them." _

"_Monsters always get naughty children and take them away." _

"_No one has ever heard from those lost children again." _

"_Beware the mountain, for it holds the bodies of the dead children." _

"_If you're not good, they'll come for you." _

Frisk lost count of how many times he had heard people say those lines to the point that they sounded like broken records. He had also heard the stories so many times that he could have recited them by heart. Six children had gone missing in almost 50 years and they were never found and all had been lost to the Mt. Ebbot monsters.

Mt. Ebbot itself was the place where the Underworld began and no one ever escaped. It was no doubt the opening doors to a bad place. Some people claimed they could hear the crying and wailings of the children who had died there. Their souls wandered over the mountain to try and warn others not to approach. The police could never confirm if the children were dead, but after so many years, they had to assume that the six children had died.

But there were some whispers among the elderly people that the children were alive, but in a place filled with magic, magic that kept them alive because the monsters were made of magic. Frisk had listened to these stories and asked how the children could be alive if the monsters killed them. One elderly lady said that the monsters could have turned the children into monsters themselves, but because they never came out of the mountain, no one really knew.

Now trudging up the sidewalk with a heavy backpack on his back, Frisk entered the house that he was staying in with his foster family. The ten-year-old boy cautiously looked around, finding the house empty for a change. Usually, the lady who owned the house would demand he get to his room and stay there as she didn't want to see him for the rest of the evening, and that was on a good day. On a bad day, he would be locked out of the house, no matter what the weather.

The man who also owned the house wasn't any nicer. In fact, he had often told Frisk that he was a naughty child and didn't deserve dinner. When that happened, the boy would try to sneak some food from the school lunch to take home so that he would at least have something to eat.

He continued looking around and was surprised to find the house completely empty of people. Curious, he kept looking, but found he was really alone. As this was unusual, it also gave him the chance he had been looking for to escape the abusive home. He had actually learned to deal with the neglect, but the night before, the man had actually hit Frisk the moment the boy had returned home from school and the lady had hit him too, saying he wasn't worth the check they got from the state.

Frisk had decided the first chance he got, he'd escape and it looked like now was his chance. Going into his room, which was really the size of a closet with some old rags for a bed and a suitcase that held nothing in it, the boy set down his backpack for a final time. He wouldn't need it where he was going. Seeing as he really didn't need anything except the clothes on his back, he closed the closet door and quietly snuck out the back door of the house. Without anyone spotting him, he slipped quietly into the joining backyards of the homes nearby, using the hedges or bushes for cover until he got to the very edge of town. There was a fork in the road with the right road leading to another town while the left road went to Mt. Ebbot.

There was a huge wooden wall that had been built by the town in hopes of keeping the monsters cut off from town if they came out of the mountain, though some argued that a wooden wall wouldn't stop someone with magic. But the wooden wall did have a loose plank and that was Frisk's saving grace. Pushing the plank inward, he slipped underneath it, turning around and pushing the plank back into place. He then looked up at the mountain that was just a few feet away. In the darkening sky, it looked ominous and he could see that no one had taken care of it for a long time. The grass was as high as the boy was tall, but there was a stone path leading up and he took it, stepping off of the path when it ended near the top. Stepping carefully, he decided to climb to the top, but then his right foot went down and he sank through the tall grass with a yelp, a cry of fear escaping him as he continued falling into what looked to be a deep hole.

"Hold on! I'm coming!"

The sudden voice startled him and he tried to look around, but he was falling too fast to see who had spoken. However, it was a moment later that arms caught him and someone grunted in surprise as they both hit the ground rather lightly. Frisk was a bit shocked and slowly sat up, wondering who had caught him.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The same voice was now behind him and he turned to find a girl would couldn't have been much older than him looking at him in concern. "Are you hurt?" She asked, her green eyes filled with worry.

Frisk took a deep breath and was still for a moment. "No," he said finally, looking at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Carmen," she said.

The boy gasped. "You're one of the missing kids!" He said in shock.

"Missing kids?" Carmen asked in confusion.

"Yeah. There's been stories about how six children vanished into the mountain and were never heard from again. The police said they were dead."

The brown-haired girl shook her head. "My siblings and I aren't dead," she said. "We've been down here for a long time, some of us longer than the others."

Frisk looked at her. "But...you went missing all those years ago," he said.

Carmen nodded. "Mom said the magic in the Underground makes us age much slower than on the surface," she said. Seeing the boy's confused look, she smiled. "Come on, let's go inside. Mom's going to wonder where I am."

A bit wary, the boy followed her inside the Ruins and into a kitchen where a goat woman was setting a table with place settings and food. "Oh, Carmen, there you are," she said. "I heard you cry out and rush out the door so suddenly. What happened?"

"Sorry, Mom, but this boy was falling from the surface," the girl said, stepping aside to reveal the boy behind her. Toriel gasped when she saw him and the state he was in. The boy's clothes were filthy and she could see the handprint of a hand on his face from being slapped.

"Oh, you poor child," she said, going up and kneeling down in front of Frisk, who looked very nervous and stepped back slightly. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

Carmen felt it was a good time to get her siblings and so went and gathered them up into the kitchen. The other five children were surprised to see another boy had fallen and they gathered nearby. Seeing them, Frisk saw that there were six children altogether, counting Carmen. "The lady was right then," the boy said. "Except for the turning you into monsters part."

David blinked. "Turning us into monsters?" He repeated before scoffing. "No way. Mom's nicer than that."

"She took us in and doesn't ignore us," Julie said.

"She feeds us too," said Thomas.

"And makes sure our clothes are good," Nathan said.

"And she healed us too," Sarah said.

"She's been a better Mom to us than our own birth or foster mothers," Carmen said.

Frisk could instantly see that the children had been through similar circumstances that he had just escaped from. He looked at Toriel, who smiled gently. "Let's see about getting you healed up and then you can join us for dinner," she said, her hands glowing green. Placing her hands on the boy's shoulders, she smiled and Frisk began to instantly feel better with the healing magic kicking in.

A few moments later, they were all sitting down, eating a meal of vegetable stew and garlic bread. Frisk observed the other children as they ate and as Toriel doted on each child, who hugged her happily. As he ate, he felt Toriel gently ruffle his hair. "How are you feeling, my child?" She asked.

"Much better," he said. "And the food is really good."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "What is your name?"

"Frisk," he answered.

"Well, Frisk, you may stay if you wish," Toriel said. "I'll gladly take you in."

Frisk was surprised. "You will?" He asked.

She nodded and he hugged her suddenly. "Thank you," he said as deep down, he had been hoping to ask her if he might stay after she had healed him.

"You're welcome," she said warmly.

He looked up at her. "What do I call you?" He asked.

She chuckled. "You can call me 'Toriel'," she said gently.

He shook his head. "How about...'Mom'?" He asked.

Toriel smiled and nodded. "If you wish to call me that, then you may," she said, though she was happy on the inside that the boy accepted her as she had accepted him.

Her arms tightening around him a little in a hug, the goat woman did a check on the boy.

_Frisk _

_Age 10_

_Strongest trait: Determination_

_Attack: 1 _

_Defense: 5 _

_LV: 1 _

_Doesn't give up easily and tries to always find a way. Doesn't like to fight, but will defend himself if he has to. _

She nodded to herself as she realized all seven of her children had the seven traits needed to break the barrier. She had originally hoped that she would introduce the children to Asgore, but she now felt she couldn't without putting the children in danger. She grew afraid and decided she would either have to keep the children in the Ruins or tell a monster she trusted to keep an eye on the kids if they decided to venture beyond the ruins.

She sat down, watching her now seven children playing together and smiled, her motherly instincts kicking in again.

Outside the ruins, the same monster who had been watching them for a while also felt the same concern Toriel had. "It's too risky for the king to know about the children now," he said to himself. "Hopefully Toriel can keep them safe or even convince someone she trusts to help her keep the children safe."

He wished he could do something, but he currently couldn't. "Well, I'll just do what I can," he decided before it hit him. "Of course. I must get in contact with the children. If I can get to them, then perhaps they can tell Toriel."

Nodding, he vanished again, having to wait for his strength to return before he attempted such a thing.

* * *

**Well, it's now seven children, but never fear, this story is far from over. :) Also, for those of you wondering who the mystery person is, it's not Sans, but that was a good guess. The mystery person's identity will be revealed in the next chapter. :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	9. The Watchful Monster

**Chapter 9: The Watchful Monster **

Julie woke up with a yawn before smiling, looking around and seeing Nathan come in and he smiled. "Hey, sis, you just wake up?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said, grinning bigger. "I can't wait to help Mommy make cookies today."

"Me too," her brother said.

Just then, an odd static sound came to their ears and they turned to find something gathering in the middle of their room. It looked like a purple mist and something stood there, looking at them with dark eyes.

Julie let out a scream as Nathan did the same. "Mom!" The boy called out in fear.

The creature disappeared from their room, but they stood frozen as Toriel came running in, a look of worry on her face. "Julie. Nathan, what is it?" She asked, going up to them as they turned and ran up to her, hugging her. "What happened, my little ones?"

They didn't speak for a moment and the goat woman held her youngest children in her arms, cooing to them comfortingly. "Did you both have a bad dream?" She asked.

"No, Mommy," Julie said, shaking a little. "Something was in my room."

"It looked like purple mist and then something showed up and looked at us, but it disappeared when it heard us scream and call for you," Nathan said.

Toriel was surprised to hear that. "A purple mist?" She asked. "Did this creature do anything to you?"

"No, he just looked at us," Julie said. "But he was scary."

The goat woman decided to see if she could get to the bottom of this. "Nathan, take your sister to the kitchen. Carmen is already in there and she's making breakfast this morning," she said.

"Okay, Mom," the boy said, taking Julie's hand and leading her away.

Toriel sighed, grateful that Carmen had asked if she could make breakfast that morning. She had been learning how to cook from the goat woman and Toriel had decided to let her oldest daughter cook breakfast that morning. She now went into Julie's room and closed her eyes, activating her green magic and looking around slowly. After a moment, she sensed a small bit of magic in the center of the room. Moving closer, she felt her magic catch the remnants of whatever magic had been present and a small ball of purple magic appeared in her green magic, but it didn't feel threatening. It felt...familiar.

Pausing a moment, Toriel looked closer at the purple magic and gasped in surprise as she now realized it not only felt familiar, but friendly too. "Gaster?" She said softly. "But...how? No one has seen him in a long time."

She said this part sadly because it was true. About 100 years ago, Gaster had fallen into the CORE, his own creation, and had perished as the machine had exploded. A body hadn't been found because the magic had incinerated most everything around the machine. Over time, Alphys had repaired the machine, but hadn't turned in on as she didn't know how it worked, but had been reading Gaster's notes in secret, though no one knew about this.

But if Gaster had perished, then how did this purple magic feel like his? Each monster's magic was unique in a way that no matter how many others used the same type of magic, they could tell whose magic was whose. "Could you really be alive, old friend?" Toriel asked softly. "But if so, where are you?"

She didn't hear a response, though she did hold a small hope that if she did feel his magic, then maybe he was still alive.

* * *

In the kitchen, Carmen had just finished cooking breakfast and was setting the table with her siblings' help. "He was weird looking, Carmen," Julie said.

"He had a skull and two dark eyes with no eyeballs," Nathan said. "It was scary."

"A ghost?" Frisk guessed.

"But ghosts don't have skulls. Do they?" Thomas asked.

"Not that I know of," David said.

"You guys are sure about what you saw?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah," Julie said. "But he left when Nathan and I screamed for Mommy."

"Hmm. Could it have been another monster that lives down here?" Carmen asked. "But why would he have appeared in Julie's room?"

"We'll have to ask Mom," Frisk said, growing a bit worried. "Cause what if it is? Didn't Mom say she was worried that the other monsters might not be understanding of us?"

"She did," David said as they saw Toriel come back in and she looked like she had perhaps seen a ghost. "Mom, are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes, my children," she said before looking at Julie and Nathan. "Julie, Nathan, can you both describe what this person looked like?"

"Well, he had a skull and two eyes with no eyeballs," Julie said.

"But the rest of him was surrounded by that purple mist, though I think I saw some black, like a coat," Nathan said.

Recognition came to the goat woman's face and Carmen noticed. "Mom? Do you know who it was?" She asked.

"I think I might, but...it couldn't be," Toriel said softly. "What you two described sounds like an old friend who perished long before you children fell."

Frisk gasped. "Could it be his ghost then?" He asked, growing a bit afraid.

"I don't think so," the goat woman said. "The remnants of magic felt too strong to be from a ghost, and I know a ghost with magic, but his magic isn't as strong as what I felt."

"Is it dangerous, Mommy?" Julie asked.

"I don't think so. It felt friendly, so if it was who I think it is, I don't think he was trying to scare you and Nathan, but...I shouldn't get my hopes up. I'm not sure it was him. It was probably the magic around us acting up a bit."

She said this to calm her children down, though she was hoping there was a chance Gaster was alive and trying to get ahold of them from wherever he was.

After breakfast, David and Sarah did up the dishes while Frisk and Thomas took Nathan and Julie to the playroom to help them get their minds off the scare they had that morning and Carmen went to her room to grab her book she was reading. No sooner had she entered her room, she heard a static sound and turned to find a swirl of purple mist appear in her room and she saw what looked like a skeleton appear from the mist along with two scary-looking skulls that looked at her with glowing purple eyes.

"Oh, no," the older girl said in fear as she realized she was looking at what her youngest siblings had seen earlier and she began freaking out, but couldn't scream as she was frozen in fear.

The scary skulls came closer to her and she began shaking, but to her surprise, the skulls nudged against her playfully, giving soft whines and whimpers like a dog would. That caught her off guard and she carefully moved one hand towards one of them, holding it out a bit shakily as the skull seemed to sniff her hand before giving it a friendly lick. Seeing that it was friendly, she reached out and began gently petting it. It began panting happily like a dog and she giggled, seeing that it was friendly, as was the other one that was nudging her other hand gently.

Growing curious, she looked up at the skeleton, who seemed to smile at her before he began speaking, but all she could hear was static. "What?" She asked in confusion.

He tried again, but she shook her head. "Your voice is all static. I don't understand what you're saying," she said.

The skeleton looked a bit frustrated before he moved a hand, which she noticed had a hole where the palm would be, and a FIGHT sequence was initiated. Carmen froze in fear, feeling something surround her gently before a green heart appeared in front of her. The skeleton moved closer, his hands gently coming around the green heart and his face took on a look of amazement before he gently let it go, guiding it back to the girl. It disappeared inside her and the skeleton nodded, gently ruffling Carmen's hair before he began fading as the sequence came to a halt.

"Who are you?" The girl asked in curiosity.

Two words appeared before her. 'Don't forget'.

She blinked. "Don't forget what?" She asked in confusion.

He smiled gently at her before he and the two skulls vanished completely. Standing there a moment, Carmen snapped out of her surprise and ran to find her mother.

Toriel had just picked up her own book that she was reading when Carmen came running in. "Mom!" She said, making the goat woman jump in surprise. "I think I saw what Julie and Nathan saw earlier!"

The goat woman stood still. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"There was this purple mist that came into my room and I think it was a skeleton that appeared from it, along with these two scary skulls. I thought they were going to hurt me, but the skulls acted like puppies that just wanted attention. The skeleton came up to me and tried to speak to me, but I couldn't understand him and then something happened, like a fight or something and a green heart appeared in front of me and he held it in his hands, which had holes in the palms." Carmen paused to take a breath. "He then let the heart go and it disappeared back into me before he and the skulls began fading, two words appeared in front of me and I think they were from him. He said 'Don't forget.' I asked him what he didn't want me to forget, but he didn't reply other than smiling at me."

Toriel gasped. "A FIGHT sequence," she said. "He activated a FIGHT sequence to see your soul color, which is what that heart you saw represented."

Carmen gasped in shock, looking at bit shaken before taking a deep breath. "But if he wanted to fight, why did he instead just talk to me and ruffle my hair as if...I was someone he knew?"

The goat woman took a deep breath. "If it was Gaster you saw, then he wouldn't hurt you for two reasons. One being that you are the daughter of the Queen and two, Gaster never liked fighting and he has a big soft spot for children, or at least he did when he was alive."

"Could it have been him, Mom?" The girl asked. "You said he died, but what if he didn't? What if he's trapped somewhere?"

"You might be right, my child."

Toriel knew now that she had to speak to her friend, but she was worried too that he wouldn't understand. "I have to take that chance," she said to herself as she hugged Carmen comfortingly. "Don't worry, dear, if he does appear again, just let me know."

"Okay, Mom," Carmen said, feeling a bit better.

The goat woman did go to her oldest daughter's room and again activated her green magic, finding the purple magic to be a bit stronger now and she knew for sure that it was Gaster's magic. "Where are you, old friend?" She asked. "We miss you."

In the void, Gaster was watching the Queen and he wished he could talk to her, but he remembered that Carmen had been unable to understand him, but still, he was able to get a message to her. "I miss you and my brothers as well, my Queen," he said. "But know this, I'll watch over your children. Always."

While he couldn't do much in the void and appearing to the children had taken a lot of his magic, which seemed to be stronger in Carmen's presence, no doubt to her main trait being kindness, he would keep an eye on them, though he did long to be in the world again.

And perhaps one day, he would, but that would depend on a lot of other factors, so for now, he would simply be a watcher for the seven children.

* * *

**To those of you who guessed the mystery watcher was Gaster, kudos to you! :) And kudos to everyone who made guesses that it was Sans or other monsters. Those were some excellent guesses. Rest assured, Flowey will not appear in this story, but Sans is making his appearance soon, so stay tuned! :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	10. Sharing A Secret

**Chapter 10: Sharing A Secret **

Toriel woke up that morning and sat up. "I have to tell him," she said. "Today."

She was soon ready for the day and in the kitchen where she saw Carmen was again making breakfast and this time had David and Thomas helping her out. "Oh, morning, Mom," the older girl said. "I hope you don't mind that we wanted to make everyone French Toast this morning."

"Oh, that's alright, dear," she said. "Though, what is 'French Toast'?"

Sarah giggled. "It's really good," she said as she, Julie, Nathan, and Frisk set the table.

When all was ready, they sat down to eat and Toriel had to admit that French Toast was very tasty. "You'll have to teach me how to make this one, Carmen," she said.

"Sure," the older girl said happily.

After they had all eaten, Carmen and David decided to go to the library and read while the other children decided on playing Twister. Smiling at her children, who had grown to be close to each other, Toriel headed down a secret passage that she had never revealed to her children or anyone else. It was the way she had come from when she had first found the Ruins in Snowdin. After making it a home, she had gone back and forth for a bit, but after David had fallen, she made less trips and finally stopped leaving the Ruins after Julie fell. She didn't regret taking time to raise her children, but she did miss the world beyond the Ruins. If it was safer, she'd let the children go explore, but she was still afraid of what others would think about her sheltering the children from them, but she really didn't know if they'd be so open-minded either. Sighing, she continued on her way until she got to the door and sat down, listening carefully. Moments later, she heard footsteps and smiled as they stopped on the other side of the door. "Knock, knock," came a familiar voice.

The goat woman giggled. "Who's there?" She asked.

"Bone."

Curious, she answered. "Bone who?"

"It's _bone_-ified to hear your voice."

Toriel chuckled at that one. "Knock, knock," she said.

"Who's there?" Her visitor asked.

"You."

There was a pause. "You who?"

"You've got my attention."

A laugh answered her, making her giggle. "Good one, Tori," her visitor said.

"Thank you, Sans," she said with a smile.

Since she had started staying inside the Ruins, she had been at the door wondering what the outside world was doing and had been surprised when a voice had appeared one day. She had responded and while Sans knew that she was the Queen, they had become fast friends as he told her what was going on outside the Ruins and she told him about what she did, except about taking in human children.

But now, she felt the need to tell him. She took a deep breath, feeling nervous and afraid. "Tori, you okay?" Sans asked, sensing something was worrying her.

"Sans? You still hold the role of Judge, right?" She asked.

"Yes, though I haven't used it in 200 years," he said honestly. "Why do you ask?"

She took another deep breath. "Sans, some human children fell," she said. "Just like Chara had."

The skeleton went stock still. "How many?" He asked after a moment.

"Seven of them," she replied. "They've fallen over the course of 50 years."

Sans took a deep breath. "Where are they?" He asked.

"They live here with me in the Ruins," Toriel said. "I couldn't turn them away, Sans. They suffered on the surface."

He felt his heart drop at that. "Abuse?" He asked, recalling how Chara had been so scared when she first arrived because of the abuse she had endured.

"Yes," she said. "Thankfully, they've all been doing better now that they know I won't hurt them or abuse them in any way."

"Of course not," Sans said in agreement before sighing sadly. "Still, it seems the surface world hasn't changed if the kids coming down here are from abusive homes."

"Yes," Toriel agreed sadly before deciding to change the subject. "Sans, I know it's hard for you to talk about, but...could you tell me what Gaster was like?"

Because it was her and she asked gently, he complied. "Gaster was an amazing bro to me and Papyrus," he said. "Sometimes...I think I can still feel him in the house or his lab, even though he's not there." He sighed. "I really miss him."

"I know," she said softly. "I'm sorry for bringing it up, but...some of the children have seen Gaster."

Sans lifted up his head in shock. "What?" He asked.

"My two youngest children saw him in one of their rooms yesterday morning and were a bit frightened. At first I thought it was just the magic of the Underground flaring, but when my green magic caught the traces of purple magic, it felt familiar and friendly. And then later, my oldest daughter saw him and she said he had two skulls with him. She was afraid, but she said the skulls acted like puppies and Gaster tried to talk to her, but she couldn't understand him."

"Two Gaster Blasters acting like puppies?" The skeleton asked. "That's unusual. Mine haven't acting like puppies in a long time."

"There's more," the goat woman said. "He activated a FIGHT sequence with her, but when he saw her green soul, he didn't fight her. She said two words popped up, but she didn't completely understand the message."

"What message was that?" Sans asked.

"It said 'Don't forget'."

The joke-loving skeleton's eyes widened and he collapsed to his knees. "It was him," he said. "Did...Did the magic feel the same?"

"Yes, it did," Toriel said. "Sans, do you think...Gaster may not have perished as we once thought?"

"Then...why hasn't he returned?" Sans asked.

"Maybe he's trapped somewhere and can't escape and has been trying to get a message to us and somehow has done so through my children."

The skeleton nodded. "If the magic felt like Gaster's and your daughter was given that message, then it's him," he said. "That was his favorite saying. It meant not to forget that he loved me and Pap."

He took a deep breath. "Toriel, do you think I can meet the kids?" He asked. "What are they like?"

Toriel took a deep breath herself. "David is 10 years old and is very brave," she said. "Julie is 7 years old and has the main trait of Justice. Thomas is also 10 years old and is very truthful. Nathan is 8 years old and cautious, but unwilling to give up. Sarah is 9 years old and is very patient, one of the most patient people I've met. Carmen is 11 years old and is very kind, and last but not least, Frisk is 10 years old and his strongest trait is determination."

Sans' eyes widened. "Seven kids; seven traits," he said as realization hit him like a typhoon. "Oh, man."

Toriel grew afraid. "Sans...I'm not sure if you meeting the kids is a good idea," she said. "They've...well...," she trailed off.

The skeleton snapped out of his stupor. "Toriel, I need to meet with them," he said. "They might be able to help Gaster, if it is him they saw. Not only that...maybe I can help them like you have. Show them that not all that they've been told about monsters is true."

The goat woman knew Sans was right and she sighed, falling deep into thought. If her children met Sans and saw that he was a good monster like her, it would put her mind at ease if they decided to play outside the Ruins and there was someone watching over them. "Sans...can I trust you to protect my children?" She asked. "And...do you know any of the monsters that would...harm the children?"

He understood what she was asking. "No one would hurt them, Tori," he said. "The Royal Guard isn't as active as it was back when Chara fell, but they still guard us all. Undyne patrols, as does my bro, but if they were shown that the kids aren't like the adults that trapped us down here, they would be willing to meet the kids."

She nodded, though he couldn't see it. "I just...I'm worried," she said. "That's why I wanted to tell you first. I knew you would listen before you judged the children."

Sans nodded. "They sound like good kids and if Gaster was able to appear briefly, even to get a message to one of them, then he must feel they are good too."

"I hope everyone else will feel the same way," Toriel said softly.

"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it," the skeleton said. "So, when's a good time for me to come back?"

"Tomorrow morning," the goat woman said. "I'll tell the children."

"Okay, see you then, Tori. And don't worry, okay?"

"Okay."

She sighed, some of her worry fading that her friend was wanting to meet the kids, but her new worry was that the kids might not be so open to talking to another monster. She stood up. "Well, let's not put this off," she said to herself, heading down the hall to find her children and tell them they would soon have a visitor.

* * *

**So Sans now knows about the kids, but how will the meeting go? Stay tuned to find out! :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	11. Jokes And Smiles

**Chapter 11: Jokes And Smiles **

Toriel took a deep breath and looked at her children, who had gathered in the living room at her request. "Children, a friend of mine wants to meet you all," she said. "He is a daily visitor here at the ruins and when I told him about you, he expressed interest in meeting with you."

"Who is your visitor, Mom?" David asked.

"Are they nice?" Julie asked.

"Yes, he is," Toriel said reassuringly. "And his name is Sans. He's a skeleton."

Carmen straightend. "Like the one I saw in my room?" She asked.

"Similar," the goat woman said. "I told him about the skeleton you had seen and he believes he might know him."

Frisk, Nathan, Thomas, and Sarah didn't look so sure. "What if...he wants to hurt us?" Nathan asked warily.

"Mom wouldn't let anyone dangerous near us," Sarah said surely.

"I agree with Sarah," said Frisk. "Mom promised that she'd keep us safe. If she's letting someone in, then she trusts them enough to have them know about us."

Thomas agreed with his brother. "If he is a good monster like Mom, then he won't hurt us," he said.

The others looked at each other before Carmen nodded. "Okay," she said. "If you trust your friend, Mom, then we'll at least meet him."

Toriel knew this was a big step for her seven children as they were wary due to their pasts, though they trusted her as their mother. Then again, she had worked hard to earn that trust. She now smiled at her children. "I know you're all worried, but believe me, Sans is a good friend of mine and he's willing to meet you all before judging you," she said.

"Judging us?" Julie asked curiously.

"He holds the position of Judge, which means he checks on your stats and main traits to get a read on you. Your stats can show him what your actions are," the goat woman explained. "Are you ones that will hurt someone on purpose, or are you ones that don't want to fight? He'd be looking for things like that."

Having learned about stats and traits from her sometime back, the children understood what she was saying. "What do our stats look like, Mom?" Sarah asked.

Toriel smiled. "They're right where they should be," she said. "Though some of you do have a higher defense because of your pasts, but your attacks are at 1, as are you LVs. Sans will see this as he uses his Judge sight on you."

"But he won't hurt us, right?" Frisk said.

"No, he won't hurt you," the goat woman said reassuringly. "He'll be here tomorrow in the morning."

The seven siblings looked at each other, still a little unsure, but trusting their mother and hoping that Sans would see they were good kids.

* * *

_The next morning..._

Sans arrived at the door, politely knocking. Toriel, who was on the other side, smiled and opened the door, letting him come in. "Good morning, Sans," she said. "Feeling a little tired?"

"Just a little, Tori. Why?" He asked curiously.

"Because you've been running through my mind all day."

The skeleton laughed aloud. "Good one," he said with a grin. "Hey, what drink to trees love the most?"

"I don't know. What?"

"_Root _beer."

Toriel laughed, liking that joke. "I bet my children will like that joke," she said. "They're in the living room and...a little pensive about meeting you."

Sans nodded understandingly. "With their pasts, they probably have had bad experiences meeting someone without fearing that someone meant them harm," he said before taking a deep breath. "Are they at least willing to meet me?"

"Yes," the goat woman said.

"Well then, let's see if the kids and I can meet in the middle," he said seriously as they stepped into the living room. Julie was first to spot them and she immediately scampered behind Carmen, who stood up as Nathan also hid behind her. Sarah and Thomas hid behind David and Frisk stood beside his older sister and brother. Seeing this, the skeleton took a deep breath and let it out softly. "Hi, kids," he said, trying to make himself appear non-threatening.

"Children, this is Sans," she said. "Sans, these are my children."

The skeleton smiled gently. "Your mom told me a lot about you kids," he said. "I've been looking forward to meeting you all since yesterday."

David and Carmen looked at each other before looking at Frisk, who nodded, and the three bravely stepped forward to meet the skeleton, though the others stayed behind their siblings. Smiling, Sans held out a hand for a handshake and David bravely took his hand.

An unusual sound filled the air and the boy jumped in surprise before letting go of the skeleton's hand and gazing at the palm, spotting something there before looking at the skeleton in surprise. "What is it?" Frisk asked.

"It's...a whoopie cushion?" The ten-year-old boy said in confusion.

The younger children giggled while Toriel did her best to smother her laughter into her hand, though a few giggles escaped her.

Deciding that if he liked jokes, then the skeleton wasn't dangerous, Carmen moved closer and looked at him, seeming to study him before shaking her head. "You're not the skeleton I saw," she said softly.

Hearing that, Sans gently grabbed her arm, making her jump a little. "Can you describe the skeleton you saw?" He asked, looking at her pleadingly.

She took a deep breath. "Well, he wore black, like a cloak," she said. "His face looked almost like a mask and had two cracks in it. One going up from one eye and the other running down his face from his other eye." She paused and looked at his hand, gently touching it and examining it. He let her do so, feeling she was comparing something. "His hands were like yours, only...he had holes in his palms, like right here."

She drew a circle gently on his palm. "His hands glowed purple and he...he called up a FIGHT sequence and when he saw my main trait, he looked...hopeful, I guess."

"But he didn't hurt you?" Sans asked.

"No," she said. "If anything, he seemed to be trying to reassure me that I didn't have to be afraid of him. Even his two skulls were playful, like puppies."

Closing his eyes, the joke-loving skeleton opened his eyes a moment later to show his right eye was dark and his left eye was a blue flame. This startled the kids and they backed up as a skull came into view. "Were they like this one?" He asked, his voice still calm and level.

Carmen swallowed a bit, but moved forward, reaching out a hand to the skull, who seemed to sniff her hand before giving it a friendly lick and pushing its nose into her hand. "Yes," she said. "And they acted just like this one. What is this skull called?"

"It's a Gaster Blaster," Sans explained. "It's a powerful skull that can shoot out laser beams in a fight."

The kids were awed and Frisk giggled as the Blaster went up to him and gave him a lick on the cheek. "He seems really friendly," he said.

The skeleton smiled. "When not in a battle, Gaster Blasters are very playful and friendly," he explained before blinking and his eyes went to normal again as the Blaster vanished. "And I think without a doubt, you saw Gaster, my brother."

The kids looked surprised. "Your brother?" Julie asked, coming out from behind Carmen.

Sans nodded, seeing them all come out from hiding. He blinked his eyes again, his left eye lighting up blue and yellow. The kids froze as his stare seemed to hold them into place. After a bit, he nodded and blinked, his eyes going back to normal. "Toriel was right. You kids are good," he said. "What are your names?"

"I'm Carmen," the oldest girl said before gesturing to each of her siblings. "These are Frisk, David, Thomas, Nathan, Julie, and Sarah."

Each child nodded as their name was spoken and they moved a bit closer, no longer afraid of the skeleton, who now looked at Carmen. "Julie. Nathan. Carmen, can you three show me exactly where you saw Gaster?" He asked.

They led him to the two rooms and Sans activated his magic, his hands glowing blue as he glanced around for a moment before shaking his head. "I can't see him," he said. "But I can faintly pick up a small residue of magic. It's definitely Gaster's."

Sarah came forward. "Sans, is it possible...Gaster is a ghost?" She asked, having heard that sometimes ghosts would appear if their graves were disturbed or if they were feeling unsettled.

"He might be," the skeleton agreed. "Or he could be trapped in another dimension, or even be between dimensions."

"Is that possible?" David asked.

Sans nodded. "Yeah," he said. "The magic is really strong here in the Underground, so almost anything is possible."

"How do we get him free?" David asked.

"I'm not sure," the skeleton said. "I'll have to do some research."

He was surprised when Sarah hugged him. "We'll find a way to help him," she promised.

"Yeah," Nathan said. "I bet he misses you."

"Is Gaster nice?" Julie asked.

Sans smiled. "Yes," he said. "And he loves kids. He's immediately develop a soft spot for you all, just as I have."

Thomas came forward and also hugged Sans and the other children did the same as the skeleton hugged them back, not only relieved that the children weren't afraid of him, but also that they were willing to help.

In the void, Gaster smiled at seeing this, hope filling him once again.

* * *

**So, the kids have met Sans and it seems they have another ally on their side, but can the same be said about Papyrus? Find out in the next chapter! :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418**


	12. Scarves And Puzzles

**Chapter 12: Scarves And Puzzles **

It was a day after meeting Sans that the younger ones wanted to go play in the snow that their mother had said was just outside the other end of the Ruins. Toriel, who had just finished making them winter clothes, including jackets, had agreed, but had asked Carmen, David, and Thomas to keep an eye on their younger siblings. "While Sans is out there, the other monsters are too," she said, still a little worried about their safety.

"We'll be careful, Mom," Carmen promised.

"And maybe Sans is out there too," David said hopefully. "We can ask him if there are any other monsters nearby."

"Maybe we could make friends with them too," Julie said thoughtfully. "If they see us with Sans...,"

"And he's okay with us...," Thomas continued, catching his little sister's train of thought.

"Then maybe they'll want to be friends with us," Frisk finished.

"Do any of the other monsters have kids, Mom?" Nathan asked.

"Some do," the goat woman said with a nod.

"It's worth a try," Sarah said encouragingly.

Toriel smiled at her children. "Alright," she said. "You may go out to play in the snow. If you should run into trouble, either find Sans or use this key." She handed Carmen a brass key. "It'll unlock the door from the outside."

The eleven-year-old girl nodded. "Thanks, Mom," she said. "And don't worry. We'll be okay."

They put on their new winter sweaters and coats, finding them very warm. "Oh, before I forget." Toriel went to her knitting basket and pulled out seven scarves that she had made. "You'll need these scarves."

"I call the red one!" Frisk said happily.

Giggling and thanking their mother, the other children chose their scarves, each one choosing the color that represented their main trait, and Carmen slipped the brass key around a length of yarn and put it around her neck, slipping it inside her coat. "There," she said.

Toriel nodded in approval and let the children go outside into the winter wonderland. "Be careful out there," she said.

"We will," the children said in unison before going outside, giggling as they began playing in the snow.

* * *

Sans, who had been napping in a tree nearby, woke up when he heard the happy giggling and looked to find the seven children outside the Ruins and playing in the snow. Smiling, he sat up straighter, watching them from his perch.

"Let's make a snowman!" Thomas suggested.

"Yeah!" David agreed.

"What's a snowman?" Julie asked.

Carmen smiled. "Let's work together to make it," she said.

It wasn't long before they had a large snowman built with sticks for the arms and stones for the eyes, nose, and mouth. "Looks good," Nathan said.

Sarah was looking around. "It's so pretty," she said, seeing that the snow made everything look magical.

"Yeah, it is," Frisk agreed.

"NYEH, HEH, HEH, HEH! I think so too!"

That laugh and voice startled the kids and they looked to see a tall skeleton come into view. He wore white armor with blue shorts, red boots, red gloves, and a red cape-like scarf. The kids began backing up after a moment, not sure about this skeleton.

"Head back," David said in a low voice, but his siblings heard him and they began scrambling to get back to the Ruins. Sans watched, about to step in and intervene when he saw Julie trip and land face first in the snow.

"Ow!" She exclaimed as she got back up, holding up her hand to see a small shard of ice had pierced her glove. She removed it and took off her glove to see her hand was cut right under her thumb and it was starting to bleed.

The tall skeleton, having come closer, now stopped and kneeled down beside her. "Oh, you're hurt," he said, his tone concerned.

She looked up at him, trying to hold back tears at the cut began to sting a bit. The other children stopped to see what the newcomer was doing and they watched him as he took off his right glove and took Julie's injured hand in his own. A green glow came from his hand and seeped into Julie's hand. To the little girl's astonishment, the cut healed right up as if it had never been there. She looked at her hand before looking up at him, surprised by his gentleness. "All better?" He asked with a smile that made her smile too and nod.

Seeing this, Sans teleported beside them, making Julie jump a little, but then she gasped happily. "Sans!" She said, jumping up and hugging him.

"Hey, Julie," he said, hugging her back before looking back at the others kids. "It's okay, kids. This is Papyrus, my little brother. He won't hurt you."

Though they had witnessed the tall skeleton help their littlest sister, they others approached with caution. "Hi, Sans," Sarah said.

"Sans, how do you know these children?" Papyrus asked. "And are they...humans?"

"Yeah, bro, they are," Sans said. "And they're Queen Toriel's children."

The tall skeleton perked up upon hearing that and he smiled at the children. "Hello," he said warmly. "And welcome. What are your names?"

His pleasant and kind voice put them at ease and Frisk stepped forward. "I'm Frisk," he said. "And these are my brothers and sisters. David, Nathan, Thomas, Julie, and Carmen."

Each one stepped forward when their name was spoken. "You're tall," Thomas said in surprise.

It was true. Papyrus even towered over Carmen to the point that her head only came up to the middle of his chest. Sans chuckled.

"Yeah, my tall little brother," he said. "He got a growth spurt and that was all she wrote."

The kids giggled at that while Papyrus beamed. "Would you kids like to help me with my puzzles?" He asked.

"You create puzzles?" David asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes, I do," the tall skeleton said, his chest puffed out in pride. "Some of the best, if I do say so myself."

"They are," Sans said in agreement, smiling as the kids looked eager to help out.

"We'd love to help out, Papyrus," Carmen said. "What kind of puzzles do you have?"

When they arrived at the place where the tall skeleton had most of his puzzles and the items he used for them, they were amazed at how elaborate some of the puzzles were. One puzzle was like a crossword and they all worked together to come up with clues that weren't hard, but not easy either. It wasn't long before the kids were laughing and giggling while working on the puzzles, working together to either change some puzzles around or create new puzzles.

Papyrus himself was so happy to have new friends that were into puzzles just like him that he forgot a small detail on the one he was working on and stepped on it, getting shocked. "AIIYYEEE!" He cried out in surprise, falling backwards into the snow, his googly-eyed expression looking so comical that the kids were having a hard time holding in their laughter.

"Papyrus, are you okay?" Julie asked, going over to him and grabbing his arm to try and help him up.

"Yes, I'm alright," he said, sitting up and shaking his head rapidly. "I forgot I had the shock part of that puzzle on."

"Looks like it _shocked_ you, bro," Sans said, unable to resist a pun.

"Ugh, pleas, Sans. No puns," the tall skeleton asked with a groan.

Julie gently tugged on his arm before going to wrap her arm around his waist area, since he was sitting on the ground, and her hand rested on his spine, accidentally tickling it. Papyrus let out a squeal of surprise and jumped, giggling.

The little girl jumped in surprise, but the giggle caught the attentions of her siblings and Frisk knew exactly what had happened. "Tickle the skeleton!" He cheered.

"Tickle the skeleton!" His brothers cheered with him as they ran up to Papyrus, whose eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he turned to escape, but Carmen and her sisters were on him in a flash, glomping him to fall back into the snow, which cushioned their falls.

"Get him!" Carmen said with a giggle.

As twenty fingers tickled his spine, another ten took off his boots and tickled his feet, and another five tickled his neck, Papyrus burst into uncontrollable laughter, squirming to get away, but the seven kids had him pinned good.

"NYEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH! STOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOP!" He pleaded, squealing when the fingers tickling his feet went up to his toes.

Sans watched in amusement as the kids were tickling his brother to pieces. "Hey, Carmen. Try raspberries on his spine," he said to the older girl. "Pap will really lose his head if you do that."

Giggling, the eleven-year-old did what he suggested and the squeal that escaped the tall skeleton echoed through the forest before he suddenly moved and turned the tables on the kids, catching a few of the kids in his arms and tickling their stomachs. They laughed and squirmed happily, but he had them good.

Sarah giggled before seeing something out of the corner of her eye and looking fast to see someone in a black cloak move behind a tree. Quickly, she got up and went to Sans. "Sans, someone just went behind that tree," she said, pointing the tree out to him.

The pun-loving skeleton activated his magic just in time to sense a disappearing presence. "Hmm, they've disappeared," he said to the girl. "But...it seems peaceful. I wonder if it was Gaster."

He turned to her. "He hasn't reappeared again in the Ruins, has he?"

The nine-year-old shook her head. "Not that I know of," she said.

Papyrus came up to them with Julie on his back as he gave her a piggy-back ride while Frisk and David were wrapped around the tall skeleton's legs, giggling as he walked around with no trouble, smiling down at them. Nathan and Thomas were trying to hit each other with snowballs and Carmen was giggling as she watched them. The tall skeleton smiled. "I'm glad Queen Toriel adopted you children," he said.

"Why is that?" Sarah asked curiously.

"Because now my brother and I have you all as friends," Papyrus said, smiling again. "I didn't think I'd ever have so many friends and now I do."

The kids all smiled at hearing that, hugging the tall skeleton happily as Sans nodded, smiling too.

* * *

**I think I just died of a fluff overloard. XD **

**Well, the kids now have two monster friends. Things definitely are looking up for them. What monster will they meet next? Stay tuned to find out! :) Also, out of all the puzzles Papyrus has in the game, the one I remember the most is the one where he gets shocked because it makes me laugh when he seems so perplexed as to why he got shocked. XD**

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	13. Warm And Gentle

**Chapter 13: Warm And Gentle **

Julie squealed happily as she fell back into the soft snow to make a snow angel while David and Frisk had cleared out a small space in the snow to uncover the ice underneath and pretend it was a skating rink. Sarah and Carmen were behind a snow fort on one side while Nathan and Thomas were behind another snow fort on the other side and both sides were engaged in a snowball fight.

Carmen shot up and threw a snowball at Thomas, ducking down to avoid a snowball aimed at her by Nathan. Both snowballs missed their target, but that didn't deter them. Sarah quickly shot up and threw a snowball and ducked again. A cry of surprise came a moment later and Carmen peeked out from behind the snowy wall to see that Sarah's snowball had gotten Thomas right in the shoulder and when the snowball burst, a bit of snow landed on the boy's neck, making him cry out in surprise. She giggled. "You got Thomas," she said to her sister, who giggled.

"One point for us," the younger girl said.

"Tag team!" Nathan called out as he and Thomas both threw two snowballs in unison. Carmen and Sarah peeked out a little, ducking when the snowballs hit their fort before throwing two snowballs in unison. The snowballs went high and hit the tree branches above both forts and as a result, fresh powdery snow rained down on the four kids, making them squeal in surprise as the unexpected snow shower caught them off guard.

Julie giggled as she saw that, as did David and Frisk, who both laughed so hard they fell back into the soft snow. "Who won?" David asked after they had calmed down a bit.

"I think it's a tie," Carmen said with a giggle.

"Ah-choo!" Nathan sneezed, shivering a little. "Is anyone else cold?"

"Now that you mention it, yes," Frisk said, feeling a bit cold.

Julie glanced around, not recognizing their surroundings. "Where are we?" She asked.

"We're still in Snowdin," Thomas said. "But which way is back home?"

Nathan sneezed again and Carmen shook her head. "We need to get someplace warm to warm up before Nathan gets sick," she said.

"She's right," David said. "It's a long walk back home and we could catch colds if we stay out here much longer."

Sarah looked around and noticed there were some buildings nearby and one had a neon sign. "What about there?" She asked. "I think that's a store."

They looked up to see the sign read 'Grillby's' and there was an 'Open' sign on the door. "Let's get inside," Thomas said. "If it's a store, it'll be warm inside, right?"

"Let's hope so," Nathan said, shivering a bit more.

"Be careful, though," Frisk said, sticking close to Nathan. "Mom said there's a lot of monsters here in the Underground and we might be walking into a place where there's a lot of them."

"And Sans and Papyrus aren't here," David said worriedly.

Carmen took a deep breath. "Let's worry about that if it happens," she said. "Right now, we need to get warm and it looks like 'Grillby's' is our best bet."

All seven children headed for the door and Carmen opened it, letting her younger siblings enter first before she did. Instantly, warm air greeted them and they glanced around to see it was a restaurant and it was currently empty. "Looks like we lucked out," Sarah said, taking off her damp coat and hanging it up on a coat rack. The others quickly did the same, the warm air warming them up as they stomped the snow off their boots and checked to make sure their feet were dry, which they thankfully were.

"Okay," David said, looking around and noticing a vent in the ceiling. He went over and felt warm air coming from it. "If we sit here, we'll be under the vent and it's blowing warm air."

"Good idea," Frisk said as they gathered at the large booth that was under the vent.

The warm air helped immensely and the kids began to feel warmer and a lot better, but they failed to realize that their entry hadn't gone unnoticed.

* * *

Grillby, the fire monster who owned the restaurant the kids were currently taking refuge in, watched from the closed doors that led to the dining area from the kitchen. He had been surprised to see the humans, but then heard about how they were seeking warmth, no doubt from being outside in the cold if the damp jackets handing on the coat rack were anything to go by.

Curious now, the fire monster went out the back and went around the building, entering the front doors quietly and locking them. The key made a loud 'click' in the lock that seemed to echo in the quiet dining room.

The seven children jumped at hearing the unexpected sound and looked up to see a fire monster coming towards them. He wore a suit that suggested he either worked there or owned the place and his yellow eyes behind his glasses were focused on the children. Carmen stood up slowly and motioned her younger siblings to get behind her. Quickly, they did so, fear filling them as the monster came closer.

"What do you want?" Carmen asked, her voice shaking a little.

The fire monster stopped just two feet from her. "Who are you children?" He asked, his voice deep.

The kids all jumped in surprise at hearing his voice and their fear grew. "Run!" David cried out fearfully as they scattered, running for the kitchen. They had just reached the doors to the kitchen when they all froze at hearing Sarah cry out in fear, turning to see that the fire monster had caught the young girl and though she was struggling, he held fast, his hands wrapped around her upper arms. She shivered and looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Please...don't hurt me," she pleaded, her tears spilling down her cheeks.

Grillby saw how terrified the poor child was and noted the other six children looked just as terrified. He kneeled down to be level with Sarah and pulled her into a hug, picking her up as she began trembling. "Shh," the fire monster said soothingly, one hand gently wiping away her tears. "Don't be afraid."

The other six children stayed rooted to their spots as they watched the fire monster with their sister. He looked at them all and gently smiled. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," he said, gesturing them to come closer. "My name is Grillby. Welcome to my restaurant."

They looked a bit unsure, but stepped a bit closer, stopping a little ways from the fire monster, who was stroking Sarah's head soothingly. She looked up at him curiously and he smiled. "I'm sorry to have frightened you, little one, but I noticed that you felt cold," he said, turning to the rest of the children. "How long were you all outside?"

"Awhile," Frisk answered. "We didn't know which way to go back to the Ruins and Nathan was not feeling well, so we decided to find a place to warm up and your place was closest."

Grillby nodded, sensing the boy was telling the truth, though he was curious. "Why would you go back to the Ruins?" He asked gently.

"It's our home," Carmen said.

"Your home?" The fire monster said in surprise. "Surely you all don't live there by yourselves?"

David shook his head. "No, Mom adopted us," he said.

Relief and curiosity filled Grillby. "Who is your mother?" He asked, his tone gentle.

"Toriel," Carmen said.

They saw him freeze in surprise, his eyes wide. "The Queen?" He asked, shock in his voice. "We...We haven't seen her in so long."

"You know Mommy?" Julie asked in surprise.

"Yes, little one. In the human-monster war, I was the head general in the King and Queen's army," he replied. "I haven't seen either one of them in two hundred years."

"Why?" Sarah asked.

"The King hasn't left his castle after a terrible tragedy and the Queen left to find a place to grieve after the tragedy too," Grillby explained. "I've always wondered how they were doing."

"Mom's doing good," Thomas said before looking curious. "What tragedy did she face though?"

The fire monster looked saddened. "One that shook the Underground," he said before giving his head a slight shake. "Oh, where are my manners? You children are still feeling cold and no doubt hungry. Why don't you all sit down and I'll make you some hot chocolate and spaghetti?"

The mention of food made them perk up before Carmen looked concerned. "But...we don't have any money," she said.

Grillby gently shook his head. "It's on the house," he said with a smile. "By the way, what are your names?"

"Carmen, David, Nathan, Frisk, Sarah, and Thomas," Julie spoke up, gesturing to each of her siblings before looking back at Grillby, liking the fire monster. "And I'm Julie. I'm the littlest of the family."

He chuckled in amusement before setting Sarah down in the booth with the others. "I'll be back in a moment," he promised before heading into the kitchen.

The children settled down, enjoying the warmth and liking the kind fire monster. "What did he mean when he said 'on the house'?" Sarah asked.

"It means free of charge," Carmen explained before looking thoughtful. "I wonder what tragedy he was speaking of."

"I've wondered that too," David said. "But I haven't asked Mom because...I didn't want to bring up something bad."

"I've noticed how she sometimes is sad," Thomas said.

"Grillby didn't seem to want to talk about the tragedy," Frisk said thoughtfully.

"But why?" Julie asked.

"Maybe because it affected him too," Nathan said. "He did say it shook up the Underground, meaning everyone."

Carmen nodded. "It must have been something really bad," she said. "Something that is the worst thing that could ever happen."

They all nodded in agreement, perking up moments later when Grillby came out, balancing a tray of mugs filled with hot chocolate on one hand and balancing a tray of plates piled high with spaghetti and meatballs on the other hand. Setting one tray down on a nearby table, the fire monster placed the drinks in front of the kids first and then the food. "Enjoy," he said with a warm smile.

The kids eagerly dug in, the delicious hot chocolate warming them up and the wonderful spaghetti and meatballs filling up their stomachs. Grillby, who was cleaning glasses behind the bar, smiled as he watched the children, hearing them giggle over something one of them said.

About half-an-hour later, the food and drinks were gone and the kids were feeling a lot better. Grillby cleared away the dishes and smiled at the kids. "I'll get these washed up and then I'll take you kids home," he said, heading into the kitchen.

"I like him," Julie said. "He's nice like Papyrus and Sans."

"Yeah, he is," Nathan said.

"And he's gentle," Sarah said, remembering when Grillby had held her and comforted her. "He was concerned about us."

A blue flash caught their attention and they turned to find Sans standing beside them and he smiled. "There you kids are," he said. "Your mom was wondering where you were."

"We got cold and came in here to warm up," Frisk said. "Grillby even gave us some food and hot chocolate."

The skeleton smiled. "So you met Grillby, huh?" He asked. "What do you think of him?"

"He's awesome," David said. "We were a little scared of him at first, but he didn't hurt us and when he heard we were Toriel's kids, he was surprised."

"The other monsters will be surprised," Sans said gently. "Because it's been so long since there were kids in the Underground."

"Why?" Carmen asked.

The skeleton gently shook his head. "Not my place to say," he said gently. "But I can say this: you kids are special and you really are cheering up those that you meet."

"He's right," Grillby said, coming out from the kitchen. "Hello, Sans."

"Hey, Grillbz," Sans said, grinning. "You've got a big soft spot for kids, my friend."

"As sure as you're ticklish," the fire monster teased, making the skeleton blush blue, which made the kids laugh before they realized what the fire monster had said.

"Wait, Sans is ticklish?" Nathan asked, a grin growing on his face.

The skeleton backed up. "Uh-oh," he said, about to snap his fingers to escape, but Sarah glomped him, making him grunt as he caught her and felt Thomas and Nathan glomp him too.

"Tickle the skeleton!" They cheered.

Their other four siblings joined in, tickling Sans, who shrieked with laughter as they got his ribs, spine, knees, and feet while Grillby watched, laughing in amusement.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! KIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIDS! NOHOHOHOT THE RIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIBS! AHHHHHH! TAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAKE IHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIT EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASY-HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!" Sans pleaded, squirming as the kids laughed and tickled him more.

Grillby felt mischievous and kneeled down, catching Julie and Frisk in his arms and tickling their stomachs, making them squeal and laugh heartily. Giggling, David went to save his brother and sister, but Grillby caught him too, making the boy laugh as he got his stomach too.

Sans managed to snap his fingers and catch Carmen, Thomas, Nathan, and Sarah in his telekinesis and he sat up with a grin. "Well, well, looks like I've got some 'victims' that have just asked for a tickle torture," he said as he tickled them, making them laugh as he tickled their sides and stomachs, making the kids' laughter fill the restaurant.

After a bit, both monsters let the kids up and the children giggled as they hugged the two. "You guys are awesome," David said honestly.

"I wish you guys could be part of our family," Julie said wistfully.

Carmen perked up. "They can be," she said. "As our uncles."

Her siblings perked up at that while Sans and Grillby were stunned at that, but then smiled. "You kids really see us as uncles?" The fire monster said.

"You bet, Uncle Grillby," Frisk said as all seven children hugged the fire monster and then hugged Sans. "You and Uncle Sans are totally the best uncles ever, along with Uncle Papyrus."

Sans smiled. "Pap's going to hit the roof in happiness at hearing you kids see him as an uncle," he said.

The kids giggled at that, hugging the two monsters again, smiles on all their faces.

In the void, Gaster smiled as he saw this and his eyes brightened at seeing the hope in both Grillby and Sans. "The kids are restoring hope," he said. "Their mother, Papyrus, and now Sans and Grillby are feeling hope return."

He felt something warm in his chest and looked to see an upside-down purple heart, his soul, was glowing with a warmth that made him smile. "Sans was right. You kids really are special," he said softly before the picture gently faded away. "I have no doubt they'll help the others, especially Undyne."

The fish monster had taken the deaths of Chara and Asriel hard, but Gaster hoped with Undyne meeting the seven children, they could help the warrior move on from her sadness.

* * *

**Wow! This chapter really took off on me. :) **

**For those of you that love Undyne and Muffet, they will show up in the next chapter. :) And for those of you wondering if Chara and Asriel will make an appearance, they will, but not for a little while. Rest assured though, they will. :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	14. Connected Like A Spider Web

**Chapter 14: Connected Like A Spider Web **

A week had now passed since the seven children had ventured from the Ruins and met Papyrus and Grillby and Toriel could see that her children weren't as afraid to go outside. She had smiled at hearing Grillby had asked about her. "He is a good friend," she had said to them. "I'm glad to see he hasn't lost his soft spot for children."

"Grillby likes kids like us?" Frisk had asked.

"Yes," Toriel said, still smiling. "I believe he desires to have a child of his own someday."

The kids smiled at this. "Mom, we think of him like an uncle," Nathan said. "Is...Is that okay?"

"Of course," she said, pleased at the thought.

* * *

When Papyrus learned that the kids thought of him as an uncle, he literally hit the roof, as Sans said he would. "I have nieces and nephews?" He asked in extreme happiness. "Then I shall be one of the best uncles to them!" His expression drooped a little. "Sans, the children...had no family on the surface?"

"I don't know their whole stories, Pap," Sans said honestly. "But judging on their reactions when they met me, you, and Grillby, I think they didn't have good lives on the surface."

The tall skeleton looked like he was about to cry. "Why must humans be so cruel, even to their own kind?" He asked. "Will the surface world never change, Sans?"

"I don't think so, Pap," his brother said. "But don't worry, bro. The kids are happy and I saw how you lit up when hearing they think of you as an uncle and Grillby even lit up when they asked if they could call him one of their uncles."

Papyrus realized Sans didn't make a pun about their fire monster friend, which meant the shorter skeleton was serious. "Then we shall be the family that they didn't have on the surface," he said, standing proudly. "They deserve to have that."

"Yeah, they do," Sans said with a smile before seeing Undyne walking past and she looked a bit down. The shorter skeleton frowned at that. "By the way, how's Undyne doing?"

"She's really down," the taller skeleton said sadly before perking up. "Sans, she should meet the children."

The joke-loving skeleton froze at that. "Bro, I don't know if that's a good idea or not," he said.

"But Sans, if they helped us feel better and accept us...maybe they can do the same for Undyne," Papyrus said softly. "We could arrange a calm place for them to meet, like Muffet's."

Sans looked even grimmer at this. "Bro, the kids were afraid of you, me, and Grillby when they first saw us. If they were to see the Captain of the Royal Guard and a spider who has spider webs that are impossible to escape from, I don't think they'd want to stick around, no joke."

His brother looked sadder before perking up. "Then we shall be there too," he said. "If the children are with us, they'll feel safer, right?"

The shorter skeleton realized that his brother wasn't going to give this up and thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay," he finally said. "Let me talk to Muffet."

"I'll come with you."

The two headed over for the very edge of Hotland and Waterfall, right where the two towns met. There was a cave there and the entrance had a few webs that were placed to make it look like a home. "Muffet?" Sans called out questioningly.

Soft footsteps reached them and a spider dressed in a purple dress and black hair done in pigtails, came out, smiling brightly when she saw them. "Sans! Papyrus!" She said happily, her eyes shining brightly as she hugged them. "What brings you both to visit little old me?"

"Just wanted to _stick around, _Muffet," the pun-loving skeleton said.

"SANS!" Papyrus said in exasperation before turning to Muffet. "Miss Muffet, we were hoping to ask you for a favor."

She smiled. "Come in," she said, leading them into her cave and having them sit down at a finely-decorated table. "What favor would you like to ask?"

"Well, there are children down here," the tall skeleton explained. "Human children who have...had a hard life before coming down here."

The spider looked surprised. "Human children?" She asked. "Like our dear Princess Chara?"

"Like her, yes," Sans replied. "Toriel adopted them as her own."

Muffet had tears in her eyes. "I'm glad to hear that," she said softly. "The deaths of Chara and Asriel nearly destroyed her and Asgore."

Papyrus nodded before looking at the spider. "I'd like my nieces and nephews to meet you and Undyne, Muffet," he said. "Someplace calm. They are...nervous at meeting new people."

The spider saw where he was going with this. "Go on," she said with a nod.

"Would it be alright if Sans brought the children to your shop while I bring Undyne too?"

Muffet smiled and nodded. "My shop is a good place and I can have some treats ready," she said. "I...I would like to meet the children. How do I make them not afraid of me?"

"Show them you don't mean any harm," Sans said gently. "Calm words and gestures help, similar to us comforting or calming a young monster."

She smiled again. "Sans, these children...they are good?" She asked.

He nodded. "Each one has one of the seven traits," he said.

Muffet looked a bit horrified. "But if Undyne sees them...," she couldn't finish her sentence.

Papyrus shook his head. "She's been thinking of the barrier as a layer of protection," he said. "And I'll make sure she doesn't approach the children in a threatening manner."

"I think between the three of us, it'll be alright," Sans said. "If it makes you feel better, Muffet, let's have the kids meet you first and then they can meet Undyne when Papyrus brings her by later."

The spider nodded. "Yes, that would be best," she said. "It'll give the children and myself time to get to know each other."

Her smiled grew bigger. "Why don't you bring them by today, Sans? After I get your brother, that is."

Papyrus looked at Muffet curiously before yelping as she lunged and caught him, her six arms wrapping around his middle and her spider hands going to work on his spine and ribs.

"AAAAIIIIYEEEE!" The tall skeleton shrieked, going googly-eyed in surprise before laughing heartily as the spider got him good. Sans chuckled before teleporting away to find the kids.

* * *

Carmen saw him teleport by a tree near the Ruins and she waved him over. "Uncle Sans!" She said happily, hugging him. Her siblings echoed the cry and ran over to him, making him laugh as he held them all in a warm embrace.

"Hey, baby bones," he said fondly. "I was wondering, would you kids be willing to meet a good friend of mine?"

The seven children looked at each other. "Who?" Nathan asked.

"Her name's Muffet and she's a spider monster," the skeleton explained.

"A spider?" Frisk asked unsurely.

"Will she bite us?" Sarah asked, looking unsure.

"Nah, she's a nice spider," Sans said reassuringly. "Pap and I told her about you all and she wants to meet you. Pap and I will be there too."

Thomas looked thoughtful. "Is she a really good friend of yours like Uncle Grillby, Uncle Sans?" He asked.

"Yes, she is," the skeleton said with a smile. "She's fun to _stick around _with. Especially in her webs."

Getting the joke, the children giggled before David nodded. "If Papyrus and Grillby proved we had nothing to fear from them, I bet Miss Muffet will do the same," he said.

"Will she like us?" Julie asked unsurely.

"Trust me, she'll love you kids," Sans said. "Gather close."

They did as he asked and he snapped his fingers, teleporting them to the spider's shop. She was outside waiting for them and smiled brightly. "Hello!" She said pleasantly. "Come in, dearies. I have something for you."

The seven approached cautiously, their noses picking up a delicious smell and they entered in, gazing around in awe at seeing so many pastries in the shop. The spider looked pleased as punch when she saw how amazed they were and went up to the counter. "What would you all like to eat?" She asked.

The seven children, most of whom had never had pastries like these before, looked unsure, but then decided to each try a couple of pastries and they would share with each other.

Sans smiled at this and was about to count out some gold for Muffet, but she gently shook her head. "This is my treat to them," she said to the skeleton in a soft voice so only he heard her. He nodded and smiled at her.

Frisk's eyes lit up as he tried an orange danish. "Wow! This is good!" He said, splitting it up with his siblings so they could try it.

"These are good too," Nathan said, splitting up a berry tart into equal sections for this siblings.

"These are just as good as Mom's butterscotch-cinnamon pie," Carmen said with a smile as she shared her chocolate cake with the others.

Muffet, hearing that, beamed at the compliment. "Toriel is the one who taught me how to bake," she said.

Julie grinned, enjoying part of an apple danish. "You're a good baker, Miss Muffet," she said.

"Just Muffet, dearies," the spider said gently, pleased that the children were enjoying the food.

David closed his eyes as he enjoyed a caramel cinnamon roll. Thomas noticed and smiled. "That good?" He asked.

"Yeah," his brother said, breaking off a piece for him and the others.

Sarah smiled too and looked at Muffet. "You know our mom?" She asked while enjoying a piece of blueberry pound cake.

"Yes," Muffet said. "I've known the Queen for a long time."

The seven children looked at her before Julie lit up. "Does that mean you're our auntie?" She asked hopefully.

Muffet was taken aback by the question and didn't know what to say. Carmen, however, did.

"Yeah, I think it does," she said. "Actually, I know it does."

"Cool!" David said, punching a fist in the air. "We have a spider for an aunt! That's so awesome!"

His brothers echoed his enthusiatic cheer and Muffet had tears in her eyes. "You...You children really...see me as an aunt?" She asked.

"Yeah," Frisk said, smiling. "Uncle Sans trusts you and we know we can trust someone he trusts."

"Plus...none of us have an aunt," Sarah said softly.

The spider felt sympathy for the children. "Well, now you do," she said with a smile. "And you just might have another one too soon."

"Really?" Julie asked, her eyes shining.

The door opened and Papyrus entered with Undyne behind them. The fish woman froze at seeing the kids and her one good eye widened. "Pap, I thought you were pulling my leg about kids being down here," she said.

"I would never joke about something important like this," the tall skeleton said, grinning as the kids glomped him with warm hugs, though they looked at Undyne a bit warily. She couldn't blame them though, especially if what Papyrus had told her about the kids being very shy was true.

"Hey, punks," she said softly, kneeling down and glad for once that she wasn't in uniform.

Nathan looked at her. "You're...Captain of the Royal Guard, right?" He asked warily.

"Yes," the fish woman said, deciding to be truthful. "But I won't hurt you."

Papyrus smiled. "Because you're all just kids," he said reassuringly.

"Just like Chara and Asriel," Sans said with a smile.

Undyne nodded, tears gathering in her eye. Seeing this, the seven children went up to her and it wasn't long before they were hugging her and she was hugging them back, fresh tears coursing down her face when they called her 'Aunt Undyne'. After a moment, Frisk spoke up.

"Who's Chara and Asriel?" He asked.

The four monsters went still before Undyne sighed and nodded. "It's only fair that they know," she said to the two skeletons and the spider before sitting down in a nearby chair, all seven children gathered around her as if she was a storyteller reading them a story.

The other three nodded softly. The kids had been asking about the tragedy that had happened and now with their new question, it seemed time to tell them. "If we tell you kids...your mom will have to know that you know too," Sans said.

"I'll tell her," Carmen said with a nod.

Undyne nodded and took a deep breath. "You kids weren't the first humans to fall down here," she said, her tone softening as she began the story. "There was one other...long ago."

* * *

**And we're going to stop here for now, but no worries. The next chapter will not only have Undyne telling the kids the story, but also some bonding time with her and Muffet and the kids, so stay tuned! :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	15. The Prince And Princess

**Chapter 15: The Prince And Princess **

Undyne felt tears gather in her good eye as she looked at the seven children looking up at her. "Long ago, there was a human-monster war," she said. "There had been peace between the monsters and humans until the humans decided that the monsters had to be banished." She paused her, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Many monsters died while the rest were sealed away down here."

"Sealed away?" David asked curiously.

The fish woman nodded. "The humans used powerful magic to form a barrier, one that could only be broken by the seven traits: determination, bravery, justice, kindness, patience, integrity, and perseverence. None of us liked the idea, though the barrier did seem to deter any of our enemies from entering the mountain.

"It was hard for the first few years, but we managed to make the Underground into our home, one that was safe for us and we knew we wouldn't be bothered by humans. Well, one day, Prince Asriel, the king and queen's son, was playing outside the Ruins when he found Chara, a human girl who had fallen into the Underground by a hole high up in the mountain."

The kids looked up in surprise. "I think we might have fallen down in that same hole," Carmen said. "And it's right outside the Ruins."

Undyne nodded softly. "A fall like that should have badly injured the girl, but it didn't. The flowers had caught her and cushioned her fall so that she didn't get any broken bones, though she was already hurt from the Surface world. For a while, we weren't sure if she'd make it, but Asriel refused to believe that. He stuck by her and he and his parents used their healing magic along with the doctor's own magic to heal the girl. When they learned Chara had no family and had been abused, Asgore and Toriel took her in, raising her alongside Asriel. The two became very close as brother and sister, bringing happiness to the rest of us, who loved the princess and swore to protect her just as we would protect the Royal Family."

She paused here again, tears now falling down her face as she seemed to be recalling a terrible time. Frisk went up to her and touched her arm, to which the fish woman smiled gently and ruffled his hair, his kind touch seeming to help her calm down.

"One day, Chara got very sick and she was on her deathbed when she asked Asriel for a final request: to see her favorite flowers. As a good brother, he wanted nothing more than to grant her final wish, so he took her to the barrier and crossed it with her in his arms, her determination helping him to cross to the Surface world. But the humans seemed to be waiting for them and...they killed Asriel."

The children gasped as Sans, Papyrus, and Muffet hung their heads, recalling that awful day. One of the guards had seen what had happened and rushed to the castle with the awful news, which had made the monsters lose hope of ever getting back to the surface world. They all looked up as Undyne cleared her throat a little so that she could continue speaking.

"When we heard that not only had Chara passed away, but Asriel was killed too, it hurt all of us, as the most precious things to us had been taken away. Asgore decreed that we were to stay away from humans forever, because they would never understand and we'd only be in danger if we got to the Surface. We'd remember Chara as the first human to accept us, but we felt she'd be the only one to do so. Toriel left the castle not long after to grieve the deaths of her children and she took up residence in the Ruins. Some of the Royal Guard have been watching over her per request of the king, but after a bit, she stayed in the Ruins."

"But she must miss her husband," Thomas said softly.

"I'm sure she does," the fish woman said. "Because he misses her, but has understood and given her space."

Julie stood up. "But Mommy was afraid that if Asgore saw us...," she trailed off.

"He might change his mind about breaking the barrier," Nathan said.

Frisk stood up. "It's not fair for the monsters to be trapped down here," he said. "I bet we could find a way to break the barrier and the monsters could live peacefully on the Surface."

"Being trapped is better than being killed," Muffet said softly.

Sans nodded in agreement. "Most humans wouldn't understand," he said.

"But we do," Carmen said.

"True, but you kids understand because you've seen the bad side of the world," Undyne said gently. "You kids escaped hard Surface lives. I can see that in your stats."

Knowing what she meant, they all nodded, because it was true that they had all escaped horrible lives on the Surface, coming down here and finding Toriel, who had taken them in and raised them as her own. "We sensed Mom was sad about something, but...we didn't want to make her even more sad by asking what she was sad about," Sarah said.

Julie looked like she might cry. "Maybe it's better to stay down here," she said softly. "Mommy's been nice to us and...the other monsters haven't hurt us. They can't be bad like we've been told."

"No way," Thomas said firmly. "And this place feels like home."

Papyrus nodded. "Despite being a prison, the Underground is wonderful because we've worked to make it our home and make it a pleasant place," he said. "You kids have restored some hope in us, hope that humans like you will understand and accept us."

"Especially with Toriel adopting you," Muffet said. "You kids are the princes and princesses of the Underground."

All seven children ducked their heads shyly at hearing that. While they hadn't been called that before, they were unsure about the titles, though with their mother being Queen Toriel, then Muffet was right. They were all princes and princesses. Carmen was first to speak up.

"To go from being mistreated into royalty is a lot to take in," she said softly.

Nathan stood up. "But we don't want any of you or the other monsters treating us differently as a result," he said. "We don't want to be seen as better than anyone."

"He's right," David said with a nod. "We're all equal."

"How do you mean?" Sans asked, curious as to what the kids meant.

"Well, you're alive, just like us," Julie pointed out.

"You've got hearts and feelings," Thomas said.

"You treat us with kindness," Carmen said.

"You haven't once hurt us and you helped us see that you wouldn't harm us," Sarah said.

"You accepted us instead of shunning us," Nathan said.

"You want to do what's right," David said.

"There's really no difference between us other than outward appearance," Frisk said. "Inside, you guys are just like us."

The kids' words made the monsters smile because it was true. "I never thought about it that way, but you're right," Papyrus said. "Perhaps humans and monsters are more alike than some think."

"Monsters are made of compassion and love," Muffet said. "And some magic."

"And you kids mean the world to us," Sans said. "And not just because you're of the Royal Family now."

"He's right," Undyne said with a smile. "Your titles are just titles. We see you kids as family."

The seven children all looked at each other before Carmen smiled. "I'm glad I came down here," she said. "Because the family I've always wanted is right here with me."

Her siblings agreed as they hugged the four monsters, who hugged them back with fondness and family love.

In the void, Gaster was smiling as he saw the monsters' souls and kids' souls shine. "They are truly angels," he said to himself before deciding that it was finally time to not only bring more hope to the Underground, but to have everyone have a happy ending.

* * *

**Hmm, what is Gaster up to? And what does he have in mind for everyone? Stay tuned to find out! :) Also, I will not be online next week, but will be on the week after. And Happy Thanksgiving! :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418**


	16. Restoring Hope-Part 1

**Chapter 16: Restoring Hope-Part 1 **

Carmen was in her room, reading a book when she happened to look up to see something coming into view and she gasped in surprise and fear before feeling relief fill her at seeing the familiar skeleton that had appeared before her last time, telling her 'don't forget'. Seeing him now, she went up to him and he smiled at her, giving her a nod in greeting.

"Gaster, right?" She asked.

He seemed to light up at that, making her smile and realize Sans was right about the ghostly skeleton being his brother. "Gaster, is there a way to bring you back here? Like are you trapped in...oh, what did Sans call it? The void? Or something like that?"

He nodded to her, the same symbols forming around him before he suddenly spoke again like last time, two words appearing before her as the skeleton gestured towards the east, in the direction of Snowdin.

"_Ask Alphys." _

"Ask Alphys?" She repeated. "But...I don't know someone named Alphys." It then hit her. "Would Sans know?"

Gaster nodded again before he noticed he was starting to fade. He gently ruffled Carmen's hair again, smiling at her. The affectionate gesture made her smile before she looked serious. "Hang on, Gaster," she said. "We'll find a way to free you."

He gave her another smile before he vanished completely and the young girl ran to find her mother. "Mom, do you know where Sans is?" She asked.

"I believe he said something about being at his post," the goat woman said. "Why?"

Carmen put on her coat and scarf. "I've got to find him," she said urgently. "Gaster returned and he said 'Ask Alphys'. I asked him if Sans would know who Alphys is and he nodded."

Toriel looked surprised, but then nodded, smiling. "If anyone would know where to find him if he is trapped, it would be her," she said. "Hurry, my little one. You might be able to catch Sans before he goes home."

The eleven-year-old girl wasted no time, running down the path from the ruins to Snowdin. "Sans!" She called out. "Uncle Sans! Where are you?"

She paused for a moment before hearing a footstep behind her. "Looking for me?" Came a familiar voice.

Though she recognized the voice, Carmen let out a yelp of surprise and jumped from the sudden scare. "Uncle Sans! You scared me," she said, but was having a hard time keeping a smile off her face, which told the skeleton she wasn't mad.

He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "So what's the emergency, kid? Is everyone okay?" He asked, noting that the young girl seemed out of breath and she looked like she had an urgent message.

"Sans, who's Alphys?" She asked.

"She's the royal scientist and one of my best friends," he said before looking curious. "Out of curiosity, how do you know about her? Did she come by?"

Carmen shook her head. "Gaster told me," she said. "He appeared and he nodded when I asked if he was trapped in a void and he told me to ask Alphys when I asked him if there was a way to free him."

Sans nodded. "She would know what to do," he said before looking at her. "Gather up your siblings, kid. I gotta talk to your mom."

Nodding, she was about to head back for the Ruins when he gently grabbed her shoulder. "Let's take a shortcut," he said. "I can teleport, but I need you to hold on tight."

Nodding, she hugged him, closing her eyes as Sans wrapped his arms around her and his left eye lit up blue, the cold air of Snowdin being replaced with warm air in the blink of an eye. Opening her eyes, Carmen was surprised to find them in the Ruins and she looked at her uncle.

"Cool," she said with a smile.

He chuckled before looking serious. "We've got to hurry, kiddo," he said. "If Gaster told you to ask Alphys, then it's possible that we only have a small window of time before it'll be too late to save Gaster."

Nodding, she ran to gather her siblings while Sans went to find Toriel, hope filling him that his older brother would be rescued.

Frisk looked up as Carmen came running into the playroom, where the rest of her siblings were. "Carmen? What's up?" The ten-year-old boy asked.

"Gaster came back," she said.

That caught the others' attentions and they stood up. "What did he say?" Nathan asked.

"He told me to ask Alphys when I asked him if there was a way to get him out of wherever he was," the eleven-year-old girl said.

Thomas, David, and Sarah looked interested. "Is he really somewhere where he can be reached?" The young girl asked.

"If so, we've got to try it," David said.

"Yeah!" Thomas said.

"I want to help," Julie said.

"Me too," Nathan said.

"We can all help," Frisk said. "But who's Alphys?"

"I asked Uncle Sans that and he saw she's a good friend of his and the royal scientist," Carmen said.

That made them all perk up and they went to find Toriel and Sans, who were in the living room.

The goat woman looked hopeful. "I hope Gaster can be saved," she said. "But Sans...if my children go with you...,"

"I'll keep them safe, Tori," he promised. "Plus, Alphys wouldn't hurt them. She doesn't like fighting."

"I do remember that she preferred to avoid fights," Toriel said with a nod before sighing. "Alright, Sans. I trust you to keep my little ones safe."

He took her hand. "Toriel, I swear to you, no harm will come to them in the lab," he promised. "I'll be there too."

She nodded. "Thank you, Sans," she said, smiling softly. "Tell me, how is Asgore?"

"He misses you like crazy," the skeleton admitted. "He misses the kids too."

Toriel nodded. "I don't want to go through that heartbreak again," she said softly, but he heard her and hugged her, knowing what she meant.

"You won't lose these kids, Tori," he said softly.

Footsteps reached them and they turned to find the kids come in. Toriel nodded and stood up. "Children, stay close to your uncle Sans and be careful," she said.

"We will, Mom," Frisk said.

"Uncle Sans will keep us safe, Mommy," Julie said.

The skeleton smiled at seeing how the children trusted him. "You bet I will," he said. "Alright, gather close. We'll take a shortcut."

The seven children clustered together and with a snap of his fingers, Sans teleported them all to the lab.

Alphys was studying her notes, making sure she had everything right so far. "Mettaton, would you get me the those small chemistry tubes, please?" She asked.

"Of course, Alphys dear," he said, sliding closer to her. "Anything for you."

"M-Metta!" She cried out in embarrassment. "J-Just p-please get those t-tubes, p-please."

He chuckled at her flustered state, but did as she asked. He loved to get her all embarrassed because he thought her stutter was cute. He had just set down a few chemistry tubes on the table when he looked up to see Sans and the seven children. "Well, hello, darlings!" He said with a smile.

The kids jumped in surprise and clustered close to Sans, who smiled gently. "It's okay, kiddos," he said. "That's Mettaton, one of Alphys' creations."

"And her very best creation, I might add," the robot said, tossing back his dark hair.

Frisk giggled. "He reminds me of Michael Jackson," he said.

The others looked at her in confusion, except for Carmen, who smiled. "He's a famous singer on the surface," she supplied.

Mettaton came over and he smiled. "My goodness, I've never seen such cuter looking children except for Dogaressa's puppies," he said. "What can I help you all with?"

"Well, we're looking for Alphys," Thomas said.

"Uncle Sans said we could find her here," David said.

"That you can, my darlings," the robot said. "Follow me this way."

Sans had to smile and shake his head in amusement. While he didn't completely care for the robot, he was glad that Mettaton was at least being friendly to the kids and the kids seemed to like him. They headed into Alphys' lab and the poor dinosaur was so startled to see humans that she promptly fell over backwards, papers scattering everywhere.

"Alphys! Are you okay?" Sarah asked, rushing to help the scientist.

"Come on, guys. Let's help Alphys," Nathan said.

It wasn't long before the paperwork was right again and Alphys had regained her composure somewhat. "I...I n-never seen real h-humans before," she admitted. "W-What are you all d-doing here?"

Carmen took a deep breath. "Gaster needs help," she said. "He said to ask you."

Alphys gasped in shock. "Y-You've seen h-him?" She asked in surprise. "H-He's a-alive?"

"That's what we're hoping for, Alphys," Sans said. "Can you help us?"

The dinosaur sighed softly. "I've been trying to find Gaster ever since I became the royal scientist," she admitted. "I've even been working on his project, the CORE."

"The CORE?" Julie asked curiously.

"A machine that would supply power to the Underground," Alphys explained gently. "He was working on it before he...vanished."

"How did he vanish?" Frisk asked.

"No one really knows," the dinosaur said. "One moment he was working in the lab and the next, there was a flash of light and he was gone. Some thought he had fallen into the CORE and was killed, but if you kids have seen him, he might still be alive."

Sans nodded. "I sensed his magic, Al," he said, calling the dinosaur by her nickname. "It was really strong. Toriel even mentioned that it felt like his magic."

"The Queen?" Alphys asked before it clicked. "Are you children...Queen Toriel's children?"

"Yes," David said softly.

Mettaton gasped in awe before smiling. "I'm so glad," he said. "The Underground needs hope."

"Yes," the dinosaur monster said with a nod before looking determined. "Well, let's see about finding Gaster."

Moving to a large machine, she turned it on and moments later, a portal opened up right in front of the machine, a hand with a hole in its palm reaching out.

Carmen recognized that hand immediately. "Gaster!" She exclaimed in hope, running up and reaching out, grabbing onto the hand. It gripped her hand just as another hand reached out. "Guys! I need help!"

Frisk nodded. "Nathan, David, Sarah, with me," he said as they went up and grabbed the other hand, quickly forming a human chain, ready to help their sister pull Gaster free.

Sans, Julie, and Sarah quickly did the same behind Carmen, who was holding tight to the hand she had hold of. Mettaton quickly minded the CORE, noting the levels it was at. "It's stable," he reported.

That was all they needed to hear. "Pull!" Alphys called out, keeping an eye on everything, wringing her hands in worry and in hope.

The kids echoed the cry and all seven of them and Sans pulled back. Two black arms connected to the hands came out and then a face and a body, one Sans recognized right away. "Hang on, bro! We've got you!" He called out.

Mettaton noticed the levels were beginning to fluctuate. "Hurry! The portal is getting ready to close!" He said urgently.

"Pull with all you've got!" Carmen called out.

"Come on!" Frisk called out encouragingly.

After what felt like many minutes, they managed to pull Gaster free and as they all fell back, he too collapsed to the floor, gasping for air as the portal closed. Weakly, the tall skeleton pushed himself to sit up, leaning gratefully against the cabinets that were nearby. Julie was first to move and she went up to him, looking worried.

"Gaster?" She asked softly.

He opened his eyes, smiling at her. "I'm alright, little one," he said, his voice a bit raspy, but gentle. "Just a little weak."

"Bro," Sans said, his voice choking up as he came forward, hugging his older brother, who returned the hug. "Pap and I missed you."

"And I missed you both," Gaster said with a smile before looking up at the children. "Thank you, children. You've freed me."

They gathered around and hugged him, to which he returned the hugs, feeling hope fill him. "You children really are something," he said with a smile before looking a bit serious. "May I ask you all something?"

"Sure," Frisk said.

"Would you be willing to help two others? The first Royal children?"

David gasped. "You mean Chara and Asriel?" He asked.

Gaster nodded. "There is a chance to save them, but all seven of you will be needed," he said.

"How can we help?" Carmen asked.

"With your traits," he replied. "The seven traits."

* * *

**Hmm. What does Gaster mean? Stay tuned to find out! :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	17. Restoring Hope-Part 2

**Chapter 17: Restoring Hope-Part 2 **

Alphys led Gaster to a nearby chair, which he sat down in gratefully. "Thank you, my dear," he said. "I'm afraid my time in the void sapped me of most of my strength."

Sans held out a hand, checking his brother's stats and finding them to be alright except for his HP, which was low due to his time in the void. "You need something to eat, bro," he said.

The seven kids looked at each other before they began pulling some food out of their pockets. "Mom always tells us to have a snack on us at all times," Nathan said as they laid out the food. Three slices of butterscotch cinnamon pie, three apples, and a plate of fries. They brought these over to Gaster, who looked at them all gratefully.

"Thank you, children," he said, beginning to eat slowly to allow his body to get acclimated to eating food again. "Tell me of your adventures, little ones."

While he had been watching over them and knew of some of their adventures, he was curious to learn what they had been up to. The children eagerly began telling him how they met Undyne and Muffet through Sans and Papyrus and the tall skeleton seemed determined to show the fish woman that the kids could be her friends and they got a surprise at the kids calling her an aunt and the skeletons uncles.

Frisk suddenly perked up. "Wait. Gaster, you're uncle Sans and Uncle Papyrus' brother, right?" He asked.

"I am the oldest of the three of us, yes," he said, gently ruffling the boy's hair.

"Then that means you're our uncle too!" Thomas said excitedly.

"He's right," Carmen said, smiling.

Julie and Sarah danced around happily while David grinned. "Man, we're getting uncles and aunts faster than Uncle Sans can tell jokes," the boy said.

"Is that so?" Sans said with a grin. "Why did the skeleton go to the human's barbeque?"

"Why?" Mettaton asked.

"He wanted to get some _spare ribs." _

Alphys groaned, but was smiling as Gaster chuckled and the kids giggled. Emboldened, Sans grinned again. "Why did the skeleton want friends?" He asked.

"Why?" Julie asked.

"He didn't want to be _bonely_."

The kids laughed before Carmen grinned, getting an idea. "Knock, knock," she said.

The skeletons grinned. "Who's there?" Gaster asked, playing along.

"You," the eleven-year-old girl answered.

Sans cocked a browbone at that. "You who?" He asked.

Carmen grinned. "You've got my attention," she said.

Getting the joke, Sans laughed heartily at the play on words. "Good one, kiddo," he said.

Alphys and Mettaton smiled too. "That is a good one," the dinosaur said. "I don't think I've ever seen someone almost stump Sans like that."

"Nope," the short skeleton said.

"Very few can stump Sans," Gaster said as he finished eating, feeling better. "Now then, we should get to my lab. The machine we need is in there."

He stood up, glad to see his strength was back, and led the way out of Alphys' lab, coming to a wall and pressing a hand to it. To everyone's shock, the wall parted and there was a door. Gaster entered the code and opened the door. "Come in," he said with a smile. "And don't be alarmed."

The kids stuck together, seeing the lab looked like it hadn't been used in a bit and it looked a bit scary, but they waited for the others to come in. Gaster nodded as he saw everything was in place. Alphys looked around in surprise. "I had no idea Gaster's lab was right behind mine," she said.

"I did," Sans said. "I just never told you. Guess I figured it would be sealed up and never used again after Gaster vanished."

Gaster, hearing that, hugged Sans. "I wish I hadn't been so stubborn on working alone," he said. "I might have been able to send someone for help when I fell into the CORE."

Sarah looked curious and went over to him. "But if the CORE is a powerful machine, then...how did you end up in the void?" She asked.

"I kept asking myself that one and I think it's because I tried to teleport away when I was falling, but teleportation doesn't work so well when you're in a panic," Gaster explained. "I think I was fortunate because not only could I travel everywhere now, but I was able to keep Chara and Asriel from fading away."

The kids looked at each other. "What do you mean?" Nathan asked. "Didn't they...pass away?"

"Not quite," the tall skeleton explained. "Chara was still alive when Asriel took her to the surface to grant her one last wish."

Sans jolted at that. "What?" He asked. "But...we saw her...die."

Gaster gently squeezed his brother's shoulder. "She actually fell into a deep coma," he said. "And she would have died, yes. But when Asriel fell trying to protect her and grant her last wish, I managed to pull them into the void." He paused and shuddered a bit. "For a moment, I was afraid they were both lost, but they've been deeply asleep in the void."

He gathered his notes together and was pouring over them. Thomas grew thoughtful. "Can we save Chara and Asriel the way we saved you, Uncle Gaster?" He asked.

The tall skeleton smiled at the boy. "In a similar way, yes," he said, gesturing to the seven tall tubes that looked large enough to hold two people. "But...it would take all seven traits to do so. To collect the energy...you would have to step inside and the machine would gather the correct amounts of the seven traits needed to save the two."

He paused in his work and looked at them. "Are you kids sure about helping to save them?" He asked.

The seven children looked at each other. "Everyone really misses them," Sarah said softly.

"Aunt Undyne really got choked up while telling us about them," Nathan said.

"I think that's what got Uncle Grillby too when we first met him," Carmen said.

"Mom was hurt the most by it, since they were her kids before us," Thomas said.

"I bet Asgore was too, from what we were told," Frisk said.

"They're our brother and sister too, right?" Julie asked.

"Yes," David said before nodding and putting out his right hand, palm facing the floor. The other children stacked their hands on his and each other's, all nodding before turning to look at Gaster.

"Yes," Carmen said. "We want to save Chara and Asriel for everyone, especially Mom."

Alphys had tears in her eyes and Mettaton hugged her, also feeling emotional. Sans swallowed hard as a lump had formed in his throat, a few tears escaping his eyes as he was proud of the kids. Gaster was also pleased with their answer and smiled. "Alright then," he said. "Alphys, I'll guide you on what to do. Children, let's get you all settled."

At each large canister, which was tilted at an angle, he helped each child get in. "Uncle Gaster, will it hurt?" Julie asked, a note of fear in her voice.

He gently rubbed his thumb against her cheek soothingly. "No, little one. You and your siblings won't feel a thing," he promised. "You'll all be asleep."

"Will we wake up?" Thomas asked.

"You will," the tall skeleton said, ruffling the boy's hair. "You have my word. I won't let anything happen to you, children."

"Promise?" Sarah said.

"I promise."

Feeling reassured, the kids stayed still as the canisters all closed and a sleeping gas filled the canisters for a brief moment, making them fall asleep. "Sans, keep an eye on their vitals, please," Gaster said.

"You got it," Sans said.

Alphys and Mettaton were ready as they had followed his instructions. Seeing everything was ready, the skeleton nodded. "Alright," he said, flicking a few switches. "Let's bring the prince and princess home."

The CORE started up and colorful auras, each one the same color as the main trait the kids each had, moved softly from the kids into a new portal that had just formed. The rainbow colors entered the portal and the others could see two hearts inside. One was red and the others was white and upside down, semi-transparent forms floating around them.

The six colors swirled gently around the two spirits, making them appear more solid until they were restored. Gaster nodded. "They're still deeply asleep," he said as the colorful auras pulled the two closer to the opening of the portal. He gently caught Chara, holding her protectively while Sans caught Asriel, holding the young goat protectively. "Alphys, close the portal."

The yellow dinosaur did so and the seven auras flew gently back to the seven sleeping children. The canisters opened and Mettaton gently picked up the seven children one by one, placing them on the hospital beds nearby, checking their stats and nodding. "They're all doing well," he said as he set the last child, David, down on a bed, making sure the children were resting comfortably.

"They'll sleep for a while," Gaster said. He suddenly felt Chara stir and he looked to see the brown-haired girl open her red eyes and look up at him in surprise.

"G-Gaster?" She asked, her voice a little raspy.

"Chara," he said, tears forming as he hugged her. "Oh, Princess Chara."

Sans looked to see Asriel stir and the goat opened his eyes, gasping in surprise. "Sans!" He said, glomping the skeleton, who hugged him back.

"Asriel," he said, his voice choking. "You're really back."

Alphys burst into happy tears, unable to help herself, but who could blame her? Hope was filling her, Mettaton, Gaster, and Sans once again and Chara and Asriel were back. She couldn't wait to spread the news.

But at the moment, she decided to just stay and she was glad she did as Chara and Asriel hugged her and she hugged them back in a firm hug, a hug that Mettaton and the two skeletons joined as well.

* * *

**So Chara and Asriel have been saved. :) Next up, Toriel is reunited with them. :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	18. Restoring Hope-Part 3

**Chapter 18: Restoring Hope-Part 3 **

David opened his eyes to see Mettaton was standing over him and the robot smiled. "Welcome back, young David," he said as the boy sat up, looking around to see his siblings were starting to wake up and Alphys was nearby, giving two people, one a brown-haired child and the others a small goat, an examination.

"Well, aside from being a little thin, they are both healthy," the dinosaur said.

Sans smiled. "Don't worry," he said. "With their mom's cooking, they'll be back at a healthy weight in no time."

He gently poked Chara's side when he said that, making her giggle and Asriel chuckle before the small goat noticed the seven children waking up. He looked curious. "Uncle Sans, who are they?" He asked.

Chara looked over and saw them too, tilting her head to the side curiously. Gaster chuckled as he saw this while Sans smiled. "Those seven kids are the reasons that you both and Gaster are here," he said.

"It's true," the tall skeleton said. "Our return would have not been possible without them."

Carmen was the first to step forward, smiling. "Hi, I'm Carmen," she said to the other two. "Your mom is Toriel, right?"

Chara nodded. "Yes?" She said softly.

"Then that means you're our brother and sister too!" Julie said with a happy smile. "I'm Julie. I'm the littlest."

"I'm David," the oldest boy said.

"Nathan," said his brother.

"Thomas," said the other older boy.

"I'm Sarah," the middle girl said.

"And I'm Frisk," the last boy said.

Asriel looked at them all, his eyes widening as seeing each of them represented the seven traits to break the barrier. "The seven traits?" He asked.

"Yes," Gaster said. "Traits that could either tear apart and destroy, or unite and restore hope."

Sans smiled. "Your siblings restored hope to the Underground," he said.

Chara looked pensive. "But the upper world," she began. "Is it still...?"

"Not understanding?" Carmen supplied when the younger girl trailed off.

"Yeah," she said.

"I'm afraid so," Frisk said softly.

"We weren't treated right," Thomas said. "Not before we met Mom and she took us in."

"What about Daddy?" Chara asked.

"Who's your dad?" Nathan asked.

"Asgore," Sans said gently. "And he was torn after we thought we had lost you two."

Asriel looked at the seven children. "Where is Dad now?" He asked.

They shrugged, but Alphys answered. "I-In the c-castle," she said. "H-He hasn't l-left since Q-Queen T-Toriel went to l-live in the R-Ruins."

Gaster nodded. "Toriel went into solitude a few years after we had heard the horrible news," he said softly.

Frisk grew thoughtful. "I wonder how Mom will take this," he said.

"With joy," David said instantly. "Mom's missed her first two kids."

"That she has," Sans said softly.

"I think all the Underground has missed the prince and princess," Mettaton said before smiling. "And now, there are nine princes and princesses."

"He's r-right," Alphys said.

The seven children blushed before Julie went up and hugged Chara and Asriel. "And we now have two more siblings," she said happily.

Carmen smiled and joined in the hug. "To think, many of us went from having no family to having an amazing family and many brothers and sisters," she said.

"This is the best family ever," Nathan said, joining the hug.

"I agree," Thomas said.

"Me too," Sarah said.

Gaster smiled. "Come," he said softly. "Let's spread the joyous news to the others, especially Toriel."

They left the lab, heading out and passing by Undyne and Papyrus in Waterfall. The fish woman was in shock. "Asriel? Chara?" She asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Aunt Undyne!" They cried out, running up to her.

Papyrus couldn't believe his eyes. "Chara! Asriel!" He said joyfully, grabbing them and Undyne in a hug after the fish woman had picked up the kids in a hug. "You're alive!"

Muffet had tears in her eyes as she hugged the two and even hugged Gaster. She turned to the other seven children. "You children really are special," she said. "There's none like you."

Grillby had stood there in shock when he saw the two and when they ran up to him, he scooped them up into a warm hug. "We've missed you two," he said softly.

"We've missed everyone too," Asriel said.

The Royal Guard Dogs barked happily and licked Chara's face, making her giggle and they nuzzled Asriel's neck, making him giggle as it tickled.

Sans chuckled as he watched the other monsters greet Chara and Asriel with happiness and also hug the seven children responsible for the return of three of the Underground's inhabitants. "Well, we best get to Toriel," he said when they left Grillby's. "I can't wait to see the look on your mom's face."

"Us too," Carmen said honestly.

The other monsters, filled with joy, had followed too, wanting to see the joyous reunion about to take place at the Ruins, where Toriel was outside, hanging a string of lights on the back door. She had her back to them so she hadn't seen them coming yet.

"Mom?" "Mama?"

Toriel froze when she heard those voices and her eyes widened. "It couldn't be," she said softly before slowly turning around, gasping softly as she saw a brown-haired, red-eyed girl and a small goat, both looking at her hopefully. She felt tears blur her vision. "Chara? Asriel?" She asked, her voice somehow not cracking as she spoke.

"Mom!" Chara said happily, running up to her.

"Mama!" Asriel called out, running after his sister.

Toriel ran toward them a short distance and kneeled down, feeling her first two children hug her tight. She looked at them for a moment before hugging them again, sobbing as tears fell down her face.

"My babies," she said, hugging them tighter before looking up to see her other seven children and she smiled at them. "How did you...?" She trailed off.

"Uncle Gaster," Frisk said as said skeleton came forward and bowed to the Queen.

"Hello, Toriel," he said warmly.

She sobbed again before scooping up Chara and Asriel and hugging the tall scientist. "It was you, old friend," she said, tears running down her face. "I'm so glad you're back. You and my first children."

He smiled. "It wasn't just me, Toriel," he said. "Your other children helped to make this possible. They are a pure representation of the seven traits."

Sans smiled and nodded before seeing Sarah looking a little worried and he squeezed her shoulder. "Don't worry, kiddo," he said. "No one, not even Asgore, will ever hurt you or the others. You all restored hope to the Underground."

David turned and smiled. "I'm glad we could," he said and the others echoed his statement.

Grillby smiled as he looked at the kids. "Go on," he said. "Join in the hug."

They didn't need to be told twice as they went up to Toriel, who hugged them all. "Thank you," she said softly. "I never would have guessed that when I woke up this morning, I would have all of my children here with me right now."

She hugged them all tighter. "You children really have brought hope back to all of the Underground."

Thomas grew thoughtful. "Well, not quite yet," he said. Seeing everyone's eyes on him, he nodded. "Asgore."

"Thomas is right," David said. "He doesn't yet know."

"I think it's time he does," Frisk said.

Toriel nodded. "Yes, but let's do so in the morning," she said.

"I think that would be wise," Gaster said with a nod, smiling. "He'll be thrilled, I'm sure."

"I hope so," Carmen said quietly so that only her six siblings that had fallen too heard her.

They felt the same way. Would Asgore accept them? Or would it be disaster. Only time would tell.

* * *

**So yes, the time has now come. Stay turned! :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	19. Restoring Hope-Part 4

**Chapter 19: Restoring Hope-Part 4 **

The happiness Toriel felt at having her first two children back could be felt by everyone who sat down at the goat woman's dinner table to enjoy a delicious meal she cooked in honor of her first son and daughter.

Chara was sitting next to Frisk, smiling as he was telling her how he had escaped an abusive home and had fallen down into the Underground. Carmen had been the one to find him and introduce him to Toriel, who he had at first been a bit wary of, but the goat woman's motherly love won him over, especially after he saw how the others were so happy.

"We're all lucky to have her as our mom," David said. "I was scared of her when I first met her, but after she helped me recover from my injuries, I saw that there was no way she could be evil, cause an evil monster wouldn't help someone, especially someone who was from the race of their enemy."

Julie smiled. "Mommy lets me have fun," she said. "I wasn't allowed to do so on the surface."

"I was stealing food from her garden when Nathan found me," Sarah said softly. "He convinced me to meet Mom so that she could heal my injuries."

"Julie found me after I had fallen down due to my injuries I had received from the surface," Thomas said. "I was in so much pain and then Mom came and she healed all my injuries."

"Mom found me outside and hiding when I saw her and invited me in to eat," Nathan said. "And then Julie, Thomas, and David invited me to play with them." He smiled. "I've been with the family ever since."

Carmen smiled. "I found Julie when she had nearly fallen into a hole and brought her home. Mom offered me a place to stay after learning I was escaping my biological mother, who hurt me."

Frisk nodded. "Even though we're down here in the Underground, we've never been happier," he said truthfully. "To go from bad homes to being accepted with open arms by Mom and then the others has been like finding the family we've always wanted."

Asriel smiled. "I'm glad there's at least some humans that are accepting," he said. "Maybe the surface world will change someday."

Chara shrugged. "Well, until then, I'm just glad we have more siblings and that our whole family is here," she said.

"Hey, we should have a sleepover!" Julie said excitedly. "We could camp out in the playroom."

"I like that idea," David said. "I bet Mom would let us."

"Let's ask," Carmen suggested.

They waited until after dinner and after helping their mother with the dishes. "Mom, can we have a sleepover in the playroom?" Sarah asked hopefully.

Toriel smiled. "Of course you can, my children," she said, hugging them all. "Don't stay up too late, though."

"Okay," Asriel said and the others echoed his agreement.

Later on, in the playroom, they were all giggling and laughing as the girls pretended they were being held captive by wicked trolls and the boys were pretending to be the galiant knights that were there to fight the trolls and save the girls.

"Look! There's one there!" Julie cried out overdramatically, pointing in a certain direction.

"Quick! Our magic shields!" Chara said and the girls grabbed some blankets, pretending they were shields.

"Quick, my brothers! Our swords!" Thomas said.

The boys held up their play swords and 'attacked' the trolls while the girls cheered happily.

After a bit, they finally settled down, placing their sleeping bags close to each other. "This is totally the best night ever," Sarah said.

Asriel looked up. "Do you guys accept me and Chara as your siblings?" He asked hopefully.

"You bet we do," David said before looking hopeful. "Do you and Chara accept us as your siblings?"

"Yes," the red-eyed girl said, smiling. "You not only helped Mom, but our uncles and aunts too." She then looked thoughtful. "Maybe...Maybe you can help someone else too."

"Who?" Julie asked.

Chara smiled before letting out a tired yawn. "Someone we know," she said before placing a hand out with her palm facing downward. The others stacked their hands over hers and each others, smiling at each other before bidding each other goodnight, falling fast asleep, feeling sisterly and brotherly love between them all.

* * *

After the joyous and peaceful night, with the nine children somehow waking up early the next morning despite staying up a bit later than usual, they were all eating butterscotch pancakes for breakfast when Chara looked up at her mother.

"Mama, where's Daddy?" She asked.

"Yeah," Asriel said. "Isn't he here?"

Toriel gently shook her head. "I haven't seen him in a while," she admitted. "Not long after we had learned of what had happened, I began coming to the Ruins to cope and finally stopped going to the castle, simply making the Ruins my home."

She paused before sighing. "Then, when David fell, I took him in and grew worried that if Asgore knew about a child falling...he might change his mind about the humans."

"What do you mean, Mama?" Chara asked.

The goat woman looked a little pained. "Your father deemed that no human was good and that we should avoid humans altogether," she said. "I doubt he would have raised his trident against a human, but after the tragedy, I didn't want to risk David's life, so I kept him and the rest of your siblings a secret from everyone, until the day that Gaster appeared in Julie's room."

"And then in my room," Carmen said.

"When I felt the magic was familiar, I took a leap of faith and told Sans, who held the position of Judge, though he rarely ever used that power," Toriel continued. "I knew that if he met your siblings and deemed them good, then I could trust him to not only keep them safe, but to help the others see that there were still some good humans like you, Chara."

The red-eyed girl smiled at that. "I'm glad," she said. "And I'm glad to be back."

"Me too," Asriel said.

Carmen looked a bit pensive. "Would Asgore accept us as his kids too, if he knew about us?" She asked.

"I don't know," David said, looking pensive too.

A knock came to the door and Toriel went to answer it, smiling as she let Grillby, Sans, and Papyrus in and invited them to stay for breakfast, which they accepted.

Chara gasped as she saw them. "Uncle Grillby!" She said happily, hoping out of her chair and running up to him. The fire monster smiled as he kneeled down and caught her in a hug, lifting her up into his arms.

"Oh, little firefly," he said. "You have no idea how much we missed you."

"I can guess," she said, hugging him.

"Hey! Where's my _sansational _hug?" Sans asked, making the red-eyed girl giggle and reach for him and he accepted her from Grillby, hugging her.

"Ugh, Sans. It's too early for your puns," Papyrus said in exasperation before feeling arms wrap around his knees and he looked down to see Julie and Nathan grinning up at him. Chuckling, he scooped them up into his arms. "Good morning, my nieces and nephews."

"Good morning, uncles," they all said, hugging the two skeletons and fire monster happily.

Gaster appeared before them and he smiled. "Forgive me for intruding," he said. "But I have some good news."

"Yes?" Toriel asked curiously.

The scientist skeleton smiled. "Asgore's been asking about you, Toriel," he said. "He misses you and hopes you are well."

She smiled before looking pensive. "I...I do want to return and bring the children," she said, looking up at him. "Do you think...he'll accept me back?"

Gaster chuckled. "Believe it or not, he asked me a similar question," he said. "He asked me if I thought you'd want to return to the castle and be his Queen again."

The goat woman felt tears fill her eyes that despite them being separated for so long, her husband still loved her. "Technically, I never stopped being his Queen," she said with a smile. "But...my answer is yes to him."

"I think he'll be happy to hear that," the tall skeleton said before feeling someone gently tug on his cloak and he looked to see it was Frisk, who looked a bit afraid. "What is wrong, my little nephew?" Gaster asked, kneeling down to the boy's height.

"Well...we're a little scared," the boy replied hesitantly.

That made the other monsters look up. "Why are you children scared?" Grillby asked in worry.

"Well, will Asgore accept us?" Thomas said softly.

"Yeah," Nathan said. "If he thinks that monsters need to stay away from humans, he may not even want to see us."

The other five children looked sad at that and Papyrus shook his head. "I think he'll be overjoyed," he said. "To not only have his first children back, but to now be a father of nine children."

"Pap's right," Sans said. "While Asgore felt humans wouldn't understand, he's got a big soft spot for kids."

"That he does," Grillby said, recalling when Asriel had been born and when Chara had been adopted into the family. "He'll be thrilled to have Chara and Asriel back and he won't turn you children away. After all, you seven are the reason that not only they, but Gaster, could return back to us."

"Grillby's right," Toriel said with a smile. "I remember when Asriel was first born. Asgore was so worried about being a father until he first held Asriel. All of his doubt vanished then."

"Just as my doubt did you and Daddy adopted me, Mama," Chara said.

"Yes," the goat woman said, smiling at her first daughter.

David nodded. "Mom's never lied to us and neither have our uncles," he said. "If they say Asgore will accept us, I believe them."

Sarah nodded. "Me too," she said.

Julie looked a little unsure. "What it's like to have a Daddy?" She asked.

"It's the same as having a Mom," Asriel said kindly, knowing his littlest sister hadn't had real parents before.

"Daddies are protective and keep you safe, just like Moms do," Chara said. "Uncles are playful and fun and Aunties are cool."

"Actually, they're all cool," the goat prince said as an afterthought.

"Just like you kids," Sans said with a smile. "Hey, Tori, what do you say we all go and surprise Asgore after breakfast?"

"You read my mind, Sans," she said, smiling.

* * *

After breakfast, they began the journey to the castle, passing through Snowdin first, where the inhabitants greeted them with waves and smiles. At Waterfall, they met River Person, who had been on his way back to his boat and had stopped in surprise at seeing not only the royal children, but Toriel as well. "This a truly happy day," he hummed pleasantly as they stopped in front of him, his words sounding like musical notes. "The return of Queen Toriel, Princess Chara, and Prince Asriel, along with the arrival of seven new princes and princesses." He bowed to them, making them all look at him wonderingly while the monsters chuckled.

Toriel stepped forward. "It's good to see you again, River Person," she said with a smile. "We're on our way to see Asgore right now."

"He has been waiting for you," the cloaked being hummed. "Many blessings and good wishes to you and your children, my Queen."

"Thank you," she said graciously before they continued on, passing through the rest of Waterfall and into Hotland. Alphys was happy to see them and went with them as she had some files for the king that he had requested.

"I-I'll w-wait to give him t-these," the dinosaur said. "A r-reunion is more im-important than files."

The children hugged her, to which she returned the hugs and they continued on, soon coming to the castle and entering, heading to the throne room. Undyne had just come out of the throne room and saw them, smiling at them and winking at them with her good eye. "Go on," she said softly.

The seven fallen children looked pensive before taking a deep breath and going inside with Toriel behind them. Chara and Asriel held back a little, hiding behind their mother as they wanted to see their father's reaction to their siblings.

Asgore heard them come in and he looked up from a scroll he was reading, his eyes widening as he saw the seven children and Toriel. Standing up from his throne, he set aside his crown and walked down the stairs, seeing the children look a little afraid. "Hello, little ones," he said, his deep voice gentle. "You needn't fear me. I won't harm you."

They looked at him curiously and he smiled gently. "While humans have hurt monsters in the past, the monsters would never stoop to their level, nor would we monsters ever harm a child," he told them.

The seven looked relieved to hear that and Chara and Asriel grinned before stepping out from behind their mother. "Daddy," the red-eyed girl said.

Asgore froze when he heard her voice and looked up to see both his first son and daughter standing beside their mother. Tears began to fall down his face. "Chara. Asriel," he said, crying unashamedly as he held his arms open and they ran into his arms, hugging him as he held them in a warm hug. "How?" He managed to choke out.

"Our new siblings saved us, Dad," Asriel said.

"They helped us and Uncle Gaster return," Chara said.

"It's true, my love," Toriel said, coming forward.

Asgore stood up after setting Chara and Asriel down beside him and he embraced his wife, more tears falling down his face. "Toriel, my love," he said.

"Oh, Asgore," she said, tears falling down her face. "I'm sorry I was gone so long."

He shook his head. "I knew you would return when you were ready," he said before turning to the other seven children and kneeling down, holding his arms open to them. "Welcome, my sons and daughters."

David was first to react and he went up to Asgore, hugging him. Julie followed her brother's lead and the other five followed suit, hugging both each other and Asgore, who looked at them all. "Thank you, little ones," he said. "You have brought our family back together again and restored hope for us all."

"You're welcome...Dad," Carmen said and her siblings echoed both the statement and the title, hugging their new father, who hugged them back, overjoyed to not only have his wife and first children back, but to also be the father of seven more children who were the reason for restoring the first two children and Gaster.

* * *

_One week later..._

It had been a busy week at the Castle as Toriel and the children moved in and everyone was getting ready for two celebrations, one being the King and Queen getting back together again and the other being the two adopting the seven fallen children officially. Gerson, Asgore's oldest friend, had been asked to oversee the reunion and adoptions, which the old turtle had agreed to. He now stood tall with his hammer beside him as the throne room was filling up with guests and the music began.

Asgore walked up the aisle with Toriel on his arm and she smiled at him as they stopped before Gerson, who smiled at them. "Queen Toriel, do you feel the same way you did when you were first married to Asgore?" He asked.

"I do," she said truthfully.

The turtle looked at his old friend. "King Asgore, do you feel the same way you did when you were first married to Toriel?" He asked.

"I do," the male goat said truthfully. "I've never stopped loving her, even when we were apart."

Gerson smiled. "Then, I am pleased to announce the reunion of not only the king and queen, but of husband and wife," he said. "You may both kiss."

The two kissed and the throne room erupted into happy cheers before Gerson gently motioned for quiet and the other monsters respectfully grew silent. "And now, would the royal children please come forward?" He asked.

The monsters smiled as the nine children came forward, looking a little pensive, but happy. Chara and Asriel went and stood by their mother, giving their siblings encouraging smiles. The seven fallen children stopped before Gerson, who smiled at them. "Carmen, Julie, Frisk, David, Nathan, Sarah, and Thomas," he said. "You have done great things beyond what some humans would have dared to do. Restoring not one, but two families torn apart by tragedy, and restoring hope for the entire Underground."

Everyone was quiet as he held up a paper. "Would you seven please sign your names here?" He asked.

One by one, the seven children did so and he nodded before looking at the king and queen. "Asgore? Toriel?" He said.

Smiling, they signed their names to the paper and Gerson's smile grew. "I'm pleased to present the new princes and princess of the Underground," he said. "Presenting Princesses Carmen, Julie, and Sarah and princes David, Nathan, Thomas, and Frisk."

The monsters cheered and clapped happily, bowing to the royal family in respect before the food was brought out and the celebrations began, happiness filling everyone.

* * *

**Well, it's been quite a journey, yes? :) Next chapter is the epilogue. **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	20. Epilogue

**Chapter 20: Epilogue **

Julie squealed as she ran, trying to avoid Nathan, who was trying to catch his siblings in a game of tag. She almost tripped over a tree root, but felt someone catch her and she saw red-gloved hands, indicating it was Papyrus who had stopped her fall. The tall skeleton swooped her up into his arms and quickly moved to avoid Nathan. "Hey, no fair!" Carmen laughed out.

Just then, Gaster lifted up Nathan and grinned. "Now it is," he said as he took off after Papyrus, who squealed in shock as he saw his older brother was now chasing him too and he took off with a giggling Julie in his arms.

Frisk laughed suddenly as Sans playfully caught the young boy in his telekinesis. "Looks like everyone's going to get some help," he said as he also caught David, Thomas, and Sarah too, making them levitate and fly through the air.

"Sans, please be careful," Toriel pleaded.

"Will do, Tori," the short skeleton promised.

Grillby placed a hand on the Queen's shoulder. "They'll be alright," he said soothingly. "Sans won't let them get hurt."

"I know," she said before looking sheepish. "I'm just a worrier, I guess."

"Please relax, my love," Asgore said, wrapping his arms around her lovingly, making her smile at him.

Undyne grabbed Carmen, making the girl yelp in surprise. "Come on," the fish woman said. "Let's catch up to those skeletons."

With that, she ran off, carrying Carmen, who laughed as she held on. Asriel and Chara were standing near Asgore before turning to Grillby, who looked down when he felt the two gently tug on his pant leg. "Yes, little ones?" He asked curiously.

"Do you know where Aunt Muffet is?" Chara asked.

"Hmm, no, I don't," he said. "I'm actually wondering where she is."

"Wonder no more."

At the sudden statement, all three jumped in surprise and sticky webbing caught both the elemental and the two children, wrapping them up in cocoons of silk. The spider monster appeared and smiled at seeing the three of them caught. "Well, well, look at what this spider has caught," she said, grinning. "Two little dearies and a handsome fire monster."

Asriel was giggling as he tried to squirm free while Muffet picked up Chara and began tickling her, making the red-eyed girl giggle and laugh. Grillby was trying to free himself, but was stuck and he chuckled. "Muffet, I don't mind being caught by you, but I'm afraid you forgot that spider webbing can't hold me," he said as he turned up his natural fire, which was burning away the webbing quickly and he stood up, catching the spider in a hug, making her squeal as she stopped tickling Chara, who giggled as Grillby tightened his hug on the spider, chuckling as she looked at him and laughed.

"That's true," Muffet said before she freed Chara and Asriel.

Shyren came over and she smiled shyly at them all. "Hello," she said softly.

"Hello, Shyren," Toriel greeted warmly. "How is the music business?"

"It's going well," the mermaid said. "Mettaton and Napstablook are putting together the music video which will soon be available to see."

"That's awesome!" Asriel said with a grin. "Are you part of it too?"

"Of course she is, darling!" Mettaton said, coming forward with his cousin in tow, the ghost smiling shyly at everyone. "Why, Shyren is the big star of the video. I've been getting requests from fans to let Shyren be the main star of a video and their wishes are about to come true."

Shyren blushed, bowing her head in modesty. "I...I hope they like it," she said softly.

Napstablook floated up to her. "I think they will," he said, smiling softly at her. "I know I do."

The mermaid blushed a darker red, giving the ghost a shy smile. Mettaton grinned. "Actually, Napstablook and Shyren are the main stars of the video," he said. "And I've been checking the comments on my online pages and people are really eager to see the video after the sneak peek I gave them last week."

"Really?" Sans said as he moved his hand and the four children that had been flying around in his telekinesis gently floated to the ground, collapsing into a fit of giggles.

"Oh, yes," the robot said before doing another check. "My goodness, another three hundred comments! It's reached over six thousand likes since last week."

"That is something," Toriel said with a smile.

Papyrus and Julie came up to them, the young girl giggling as Gaster and Nathan appeared. The two tall skeletons looked a little winded, but were smiling as the kids laughed and Undyne came back with Carmen, both grinning. "Well, that was an invigorating run," the fish woman said.

"You're fast, Aunt Undyne," the oldest of the Royal children said.

"You bet I am," Undyne grinned, making the kids fall into another fit of laughter again. After the merriment died down, Grillby cleared his throat.

"Muffet and I have some good news," he said, looking at the spider, who smiled and nodded.

"Grillby proposed to me last night," she said.

"Congratulations!" Papyrus said with a grin and the others echoed the statement before the fire monster looked at Asgore.

"Asgore, Muffet and I were wondering if you'd officiate the ceremony," he said.

"I'd be honored to, old friend," the king said, smiling.

Muffet smiled before looking at Papyrus. "Papyrus, would...um...would you walk me down the aisle?" She asked.

The skeleton grinned. "Of course I will," he said.

Grillby looked at Sans. "I was wondering if you'd be my best man, Sans," the fire elemental said.

"You got it, Grillbz," the short skeleton said, grinning. "And congrats. I'm happy for both you and Muffet."

Muffet asked the children to also be in the wedding and they were delighted to have been asked. Toriel and Asgore looked at each other before the Queen smiled and gently cleared her throat. "I have good news too," she said.

"You do, my love?" Asgore asked curiously.

"What's the word, Tori?" Sans asked.

"Yes, please share," Gaster said, smiling.

Toriel giggled before looking at them all, giving her husband another big smile. "I'm pregnant," she said.

Sarah gasped. "We get to have another brother or sister?" She asked.

"For real?" Carmen asked in shock.

"I get to be a big sister?" Julie asked.

"Really?" Chara asked in surprise.

"Awesome!" Frisk cheered.

As the other kids cheered, Asgore froze at the announcement. "My love?" He asked. "You're...You're serious? You're expecting another child?"

The goat woman turned to him and smiled. "Yes, dear," she said. "We're going to have another prince or princess."

He blinked before getting a rather goofy smile on his face. Then, almost as if in slow motion, the king fell backwards in a faint.

Sans couldn't hold in his laughter anymore and he almost fell over laughing while the other monsters couldn't hold back their laughter or chuckles either. The kids all giggled.

"Dad fainted!" Asriel said through his laughter.

Toriel giggled. "I knew he'd be surprised, but my goodness," she said.

Grillby chuckled as he and Gaster went over to help the dazed king up. After he got his balance back, the goat king looked at his wife. "My love, how long have you known?" He asked.

"Well, it's been a few months, but I wasn't sure until yesterday," she said.

Muffet smiled. "I think this calls for a big celebration," she said, turning to her fiancée. "What do you think, handsome?"

"I agree, my love," he said with a smile.

Moments later, all of the Underground was at Grillby's restaurant, eating some delicious barbeque and drinking heartily, congratulating the newly-engaged couple and the King and Queen on the upcoming arrival of their new little one.

Frisk was sitting at a table with his eight siblings. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm happier than I've been in a long time," he admitted.

"Same here," Sarah said. "Our lives are better here in the Underground."

"Way better than the Surface," David said with a nod.

"I'm glad I came down here," Thomas said.

"Me too," Nathan agreed. "We found a great, new family here."

"And they accepted us despite that we're humans," Carmen said.

"And you guys accepted us monsters," Asriel said, smiling.

"We have a mommy and daddy who care, along with aunts and uncles," Julie said.

"And Asriel and I gained more siblings," Chara said, smiling. "I couldn't ask for more."

The others agreed as they watched their family, who were laughing and enjoying themselves as the kids were. While the barrier would stay up, it was alright, because not only had seven children found a caring family and the monsters had found hope again, but the children had also healed everyone through the power of love, the strongest and greatest emotion of all.

* * *

**And that concludes "Healing Broken Souls". I want to extend a big thanks to dream1990 for requesting this story. It was a lot of fun to write. And a big thank you to all who read, reviewed, followed, and faved this story. You guys all rock! :) **

**Happy New Year! :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


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